Shining Star
by Jag-o-mite
Summary: After a terrible discovery serena runs away and ends up with a bounty hunter. now years later she must face the thing she ran away from again. will they be able to handle the new serena. S/S ?/T
1. Chp 1 The New Beginning

**Chap one. Over the Edge**

Serena was running to Rei's temple. She was late, she was late for another scout meeting, but this time she had an excuse.

It all began when her father's office went out of business. He became so depressed when he couldn't find a job, so he turned to drugs. Her mother, sick of her father's habit turned to alcohol. Relatives from the U S had come and gotten Sammy. She was the only one left who could take care of the house so they didn't take her. The only thing that kept her off the edge was her friends and Darien.

"Almost there," she said as she rushed to the meeting.

She had a block left when she heard the voice of Darien, she smiled thinking he was late too, and they could make it there together. She was a corner away now, when she heard Rei.

She stopped in her tracks, 'uh oh, he wasn't late they were looking for her.'

She hid behind the steps to the shrine when they came into view. Her breath caught in her throat, when she saw them. They had their elbows connected, and Rei had her head on his shoulder. Serena shook all thoughts out of her head, they're just being friendly, but that thought vanished when Darien kissed Rei and she didn't resist.

Stopping they looked down the road then kissed again more passionate this time.

"Come on Darien," Rei said, "that klutz isn't here yet; I don't know why you just don't break it off with her now."

"I don't know why either," he replied putting his arm around her waist, and walked up the steps to the shrine.

Walking awkwardly from behind the steps she plopped down on a bench, thinking about what just occurred.

What the two just didn't know was that they pushed her closer to the edge.

&&&&&&&&&&

She didn't know how long she sat there, but when she came to her senses, it was raining, hard. Still a little trebly, she walked up the steps slowly to the shrine at least she had the other scouts.

"This is the last straw. She is two hours late," She heard Rei yell.

"This is not the way a leader should act," Ami said quietly.

"That's not the way for anyone to act," Mina put in.

"I know what you mean; she's clumsy, loud, obnoxious, greedy, dumb, and weak. I'm surprised she has lasted this long in battle," Lita counted out on her fingers.

Soaking wet, Serena slammed the door open, startling everyone. She stood there looking like a drowned rat.

If looks could kill, everyone in that room would be dead. She had a look that clearly said she heard it all. She was not sad or mad, or angry. She was outraged.

"YOU FOOLS, AFTER ALL THAT I'VE DONE FOR YOU, JUST TO GET STABBED IN THE BACL!" With every word said, her aura grew. They all saw it flying madly around her, as an invisible wind blew.

"ME, THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD BEFRIEND YOU BATCH OF MISFITS, WHEN NO ONE ELSE WOULD!" Her eyes flashed wildly at them all.

"We would have been fine without your help, as we are now. We all feel that you should give up your job as sailor moon, and let Rei continue as leader, and you can have your wish to be a normal teenager," Luna stated, like that would settle her down.

"Yeah so hand over the scepter, wand, communicator, pen, and crystal," Rei got up the courage to say.

"The Crystal? How am I supposed to be princess without that?"

"Serena, we do things to change the future everyday. So you don't know if you will be the princess or not," Darien spoke up from his corner.

For the first time, Serena turned her eyes to him. Not looking at the others, she asked if they felt the same. They all nodded yes.

Her aura going down and the wind slowing Serena bowed her head sadly not saying a word. Rei feeling like this was her chance, stepped up to Serena and grabbed her broche with the crystal.

At touch, Rei was knocked back into the mirror unconscious by a blast of energy as Serena's aura returned stronger along with a hurricane wind, whipping everything around. Serena's head slowly raised back up her face filled with complete fury, hatred, and disgust. There was a bright light coming from Serena, looking closely they could tell her clothes had changed into the white dress, and the crystal was shining brighter than ever.

"YOU INSOLENT FOOLS YOU DARE DEFY ME! I WHO ALWAYS SAVES THE GALAXY WHEN YOU HAVE ALL DIED! I THE PRINCESS AND FUTURE QUEEN OF THE MOON! I THE RULER OF THIS GALAXY!" Serena yelled in a voice not her own.

"HOW DARE YOU, MY COURT, MUTINY AGAINST ME?"

With every word, the wind blew harder and her aura grew. Serena's wings appeared,

"I SHALL GIVE UP THE POSITION OF SAILOR MOON, BUT I AM AND FOREVER WILL BE THE PRINCESS, AND THE CRYSTAL IS MINE, but you keep these!" Before them the pen, wand, Communicator and star necklace appeared.

They watched as they fell to the ground **(except Rei who was unconscious)** and when they looked back up the wind stopped, the light disappeared, and Serena was gone. They had pushed her over the edge. Now she was gone from all there lives.

FOREVER

&&&&

Serena sat on the hilltop looking over the city, as the rain pelted down. She was now soaked to the bone, but she didn't care. The hate and anger she had felt were now replaced by pain, betrayal, sorrow, and sadness. Her clothes were now back to normal, her glow was now replaced by a dull dark light. She was crying, drowning in her own thoughts; she didn't notice the presence behind her, watching her, feeling sorry for her.

"Your friends hurt you bad huh?" a sympathetic voice said behind her.

Startled, Serena turned around and met a pair of knees, looking up she saw the strangers face.

It was a girl. She was a little older than Serena, about 2 years older. She was dark skinned. She was 6ft tall and had curves to match. She had on tight black pants. On one side, they were regular pants leg, the other side were short shorts, and she had on some dark green, almost black, combat boots. Her shirt was a forest green tank top with no sleeves and one bare shoulder. Her hair was up in a long, high, tight, braided ponytail, it ran all the way past her waist. She had a black band around the leg with the shorts, and had on a loose black belt that wasn't in any loops.

Serena who had finally found her voice answered the beautiful girl standing in front of her,

"Yes," she sobbed tears running down her face. "But I don't have any friends, I don't have any family, I'm alone on this planet, in this universe, all alone." she sobbed her voice getting silent with every word.

The girl bit her lip; she couldn't help, but do what she decided to do next.

"Well, she began putting on a cheerful smile, now you do." The girl then retch her hand out to help Serena up.

"Hi, my name is Nyla, Nyla Ferine." Nyla said introducing herself.

Accepting Nyla's hand, Serena stood up, "I'm Serena Tsukino."

"Well, since you are alone here on this planet why don't you come with me? I need a good partner."

"Partner- what-do- you- do?" Serena asked in between sobs, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Well, ahem...I am a universal bounty hunter, and I was passing by this solar system when my computer got a major power reading, and it led me to you, and I was watching you to make sure you weren't a criminal."

"Well you can see now that I'm not, I was the protector of this planet, but it has some others now." she said starting to cry again.

"Um…Umm, well anyway if you come with me you won't have to stay here you can travel the universe, see exotic planets and have fun catching bad guys." "It'll be like you're protecting the universe instead of just one planet and no pressure because it's fun and not really hard." Nyla said trying to change the subject before she started to cry.

Calming down Serena thought, 'if I stay, I'll have to put up with their taunting and endure the pain of seeing them, but if I leave I can travel, I'll be with a friend, and still get to protect.' She thought and thought she didn't even notice when the rain had let up.

Nyla was losing doubt of having a companion, she thought about the lonesomeness of being alone. She was already giving up, when she heard the words that perked the rest of her life up.

"Where's your ship?"

"Yeah, yeah she laughed as she jumped in the air for joy as her hair did." (It's not alive)

Grabbing Serena's hand she put her watch to her mouth and said, "Nyla Ferine, Shining star, coming aboard." A bright light engulfed them both, as they were teleported.

Serena had closed her eyes when the light came, and when she opened them she was in a totally different place, her and Nyla were standing on a white platform.

The room they were in was as big as half a house. It had a metal electronic door. There were two metal, floating balls, in front of a giant screen that now was showing earth. Off behind it to the side was a bar, and in the back of the room were seven, baby blue capsules.

"This, Nyla said, is the control room"

Jumping off the transport platform, she walked over to the metal balls, "and these are the controls."

Stopping in front of the doors, she turned around back to Serena, who was still standing there on the platform, "Come on, you need to get out of those wet clothes. Follow me"

Looking at Nyla again, she saw that with light, she could see that Nyla's hair was purple, and her eyes were blue-green with a dark yellow eyeball.

Shakily walking over to Nyla, Serena followed her through the door. They walked down many halls, and passed many doors with Nyla occasionally saying where they led. "This is the bathroom, the infirmary, prison ward, arsenal, training, kitchen, entertainment, lab, my room, and finally, this will be your room."

They walked through that door. Inside was a bed that was off the floor attached to the wall. There were shelves under it to keep it supported. If you climbed on the bed there was a shelf in front of you and one behind you. There was a little level were you could get off the bed and sit in and look out a window. There was a roof over the bed, but it was high enough so that she wouldn't hit your head. There was a platform, only smaller than the transporter in the control room. There was an electric sliding closet. Other than that, the room was bare. Nyla had gone over to the platform and stood beside it.

"Serena I need you to stand here," she said pointing to the platform.

Serena walked over to the platform. Standing on it, she started shivering from the wet clothes.

"Now what?" she said looking at Nyla.

"Oh, say your name, and then say change."

"Okay…umm… Serena, change." There was a wall of blue light surround Serena. Then a huge gush of wind started to blow from underneath her somewhere. When the wind stopped, the walls came down. As soon as the walls were down, she jumped off the Platform.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers now, "What was that?" she asked Nyla who was laughing.

"It just did what you told it to do."

Now that she thought about it, her clothes and hair felt weird and she wasn't cold anymore.

"Where's a mirror?" she asked.

Nyla didn't say anything, she just walked over to the closet pressed a green button and it opened up to reveal a large mirror. Serena walked over to it and gasped at what she saw. She had a completely different outfit on and her hair was in a different style.

She had on black, short shorts that were laced on the sides to show off her thighs. She had on a black, sleeveless shirt with the back out that tied around the neck, and ending with a v shape around the torso showing off the side of her stomach. She wore black knee high boots like her old sailor outfit. She also wore hand gloves with the back out. Her hair was down with a skinny braid laid on top of it. She had on a purple lip-gloss, and purple eye shadow, but it was light purple. Therefore, in other words she looked gorgeous.

"Wow, I like your suit for a bounty huntress!"

"This is my outfit for a bounty hunter." Serena said getting the feel of it." Well I like it."

"JACK! JAAACK!" Nyla yelled.

She had taken Serena into the lab to get her equipment.

"So, who's Jack again?" Serena asked looking at a Giant aquarium, which was used as a wall, which held many different fish.

"Okay, now Jack is a super genius criminal scientist, who I captured 3 years ago and he has been living here because they wouldn't pay me for him," she said all this very slowly while searching around the lab for jack.

"And who are they?" she asked looking at some bottles with a swirling colored water inside.

"The space police." Nyla said straightening up from looking inside a cabinet.

"Oh."

"Where are you jack? Jaa-ahhh," she screamed when she had turned around to come face to face with two lavender eyes.

"Where have you been? Oh, never mine. Serena this is Jack. Jack this is Serena my new partner. In addition, she needs some equipment. So, could you hook her up?" she said while giving Jack big puppy dog eyes.

Jack was tall, and thin. He had round shaped glasses and mid way long brown hair in a loose ponytail. He had on blue tights, and a blue long-sleeved tight fitting shirt.

"Well," he said putting his arm around Nyla, "looks like I get to travel with two beautiful women now. Uh hope you don't mind Serena, but Nyla and I have special relationship going on." He said his arm inching slowly down Nyla's shoulder.

Nyla smiled at Serena then elbowed Jack in the gut. She pulled a knife out her belt, grabbing Jack by he hair she put the knife to his throat.

"Cut the crap and just get the equipment."

"Okay, anything for you beautiful, you know I like it when you get feisty." Straightening himself up from that near death experience, Jack walked over to a door and went inside.

"Pervert," Nyla said when he was gone, "he was lying you know."

"I kind of assumed that." Serena said laughing."

"I'm back." Jack said as he came with a small box in hand. Setting the box on a table full of tools and little electronic inventions, Serena and Nyla crowded around him to see inside.

When Serena and Nyla left the lab, Serena and Nyla both had new equipment.

Serena had a band like the one around Nyla's leg which when you held your palm near it, a gun would materialize in it. She got a belt, which held an extra gun, a knife, smoke bombs, explosives, a gun, handcuffs, an electric teaser, and a metal pole that expanded when pulled out the belt, and when encountering something it would blow it up, which only she got. And she got some extra guns to hide in her clothing.

Nyla got an electric whip

And they both got a watch. Not just any watch it was a disguise watch, it also was a compass, tracker, sleeper (releases a gas that puts people to sleep), communicator, satellite contactor, and mini television.

In her room, Serena put all her things up. "Nyla, is this the only thing I have to wear?" Serena asked as she started to get sleepy.

"What? On, no. see the platform is for clothes of all occasion just stand on it say your name and say sleep. Simple as that." Nyla answered also starting to get sleepy.

"Oh, okay." Quickly following Nyla's direction, Serena was now in some short shorts Pajamas and a short shirt that showed her stomach when raising her arms. She slipped under the covers.

Nyla who had been in the room the whole time started to leave when she heard Serena say in a small voice, "Thank you."

Serena who was starting to fall asleep-heard Nyla whisper.

"I should be thanking you."


	2. Chp 2 Reunions

Chp 2. Reunions

The girls were following Nathaniel the bank robber. He was on a planet in the Selialite galaxy. He was on a beach. The girls were waiting until he was alone, to makes their move so they wouldn't cause a riot.

"What's he doing now?" Nyla asked from her sunbathing spot. She was wearing a purple bikini.

"He's just sitting there." Serena answered who was also sunbathing, and wearing a white one piece that showed the sides of her stomach and some cleavage.

"You know Nathaniel picked a really good place to hideout this time." Nyla said watching some boys pass by.

Serena laughed when she, Nyla, purposely arched her back, making the guys stop in there tracks and run into each other to look at her. Turning her attention back to Nathaniel, she gasped. "Nyla he's on the move again."

"Okay, you follow this time." Nyla said touching the transmitter on her ear, as did Serena.

Serena started after Nathaniel who was heading to the other side of the beach. Her eyes never left him. She was so intent on keeping her eyes on him, that she didn't notice the two boys playing with a Frisbee, or the one boy running backwards, heading towards her.

The boy hadn't seen Serena either, so, naturally when he turned around he ran into her.

Serena was now flat on her back and the boy was on top of her, his face in her chest. Both swirly eyed.

Nyla's laughing brought Serena back to her senses. Looking down she screamed, then kicked the boy off her. Now the guy was eating sand.

"Seiya, you idiot." the other boy laughed as he ran over and stepped on his friend to get to the pretty girl.

"Are you alright?" he asked helping Serena up.

Standing up recognition dawned on Serena as to who these guys were. Looking at the guy trying to flirt with her, she smiled at the reaction to what she was about to say.

"You sure did loosen up a lot, Taiki."

"Huh…how…who are…gasp…Serena?"

The boy in the sand finally started to come to.

"Thanks a lot, hey what's wrong with you?" Seiya asked standing up.

Taiki didn't show any sign of Seiya being conscience, except pointing numbly at Serena who was grinning from ear to ear. Seiya looked at Serena confusedly for a moment, and then he too looked at her astonished.

Next thing Serena knew was a pair of hands on her shoulders. Apparently, Nyla had decided that Serena needed help with the two cute boys.

"Hello," she said bringing them out of there stupor, "I'm Serena's friend Nyla, it's a pleasure to meet you." She said while walking up to Seiya swinging her hips. Serena who knew this routine, quickly snatched Nyla back by her long braid.

"Nyla, this is Seiya, and that's Taiki. Taiki, Seiya, this is my friend Nyla," she said pointing to each, who in return nodded. Nyla looked at her for a moment then she understood. "Oh" she said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," she said shaking Seiya's hand, "and it's even more pleasurable to meet you." She said walking over to Taiki and attached herself to his arm.

"So handsome, how about you and I get to know each other a little better." Dragging Taiki off she yelled over her shoulder, "Have fun Serena."

Now Seiya and Serena were left alone, with eerie silence.

"So are the other scouts here?" Seiya asked looking over Serena's shoulder. Whose face turned dark for a sec, but fortunately went unnoticed.

"Those idiots," Serena said over cheerfully, "I'm not with those losers anymore."

"What did they do, what happened?" Seiya asked, his voice full of concern

"Here, come on let's sit here, it's a long story." Serena said sitting down on a large towel.

So Seiya listened as Serena told him of that dreadful day, not believing.

"So, Nyla and I have been partners ever since." Serena finished with a cheerful smile.

"Wow, well it looks like it changed for the better, huh." Seiya grinned, grabbing her hand.

"Guess I can't call you meatball head anymore." he said running his finger through her hair.

"Yeah, Nyla changed it the first day we met." Serena said.

"Speaking of you and your friend Nyla, what is it that you guys do?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, didn't I tell you, we're…beep beep." Serena was interrupted by two quick beeps from her watch. Pressing two buttons on its side a little screen came up with Nyla's head on it.

"Serena," it yelled frantically, "Nathaniel saw me; he's on his way towards you. I'll be there in a bit."

"Got it." she responded then turned the watch off, before pressing another button on the side. Her bathing suit then began to flicker, and was replaced with her bounty hunters outfit.

A sudden scream bought her attention behind her. Turning around Serena saw Nathaniel rushing at full speed towards her on a hovercraft. Touching the transmitter on her ear, a green screen appeared over her left eye. Putting her hand by the band on her leg a gun appeared. Cocking it she fired at Nathaniel, who had been looking back turned around. When he saw her, he sped up faster, and went the long way around, with her firing the whole time, but he was so scared and fast that she missed every shot.

"Damn." She cursed aloud. "I missed." She yelled into the transmitter.

"Don't worry sugah, mommas on the way."

"Umm, Serena what just happened?" Seiya asked after coming out of shock.

"Huh, oh. Well remember when you asked what Nyla and I did?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I just asked."

"Well, ahem. We. Are. Bounty. Huntresses." she said proudly.

"Serena, come on!" Nyla yelled from the hovercraft car waving her gun in the air.

"Alright" she yelled. "Bye Seiya." she said giving him a fiery kiss. Then jumped into the back of the car, and her and Nyla took off at full blast. Blowing people and sand over as they went.

Seiya watched until they were gone, then touched his lips were she kissed him, and smiled. He was like that for a while before Taiki arrived. He was exhausted, his hair was a mess, and he had lipstick smudged all over him.

"I like her." He said weakly before plopping down on the towel. Seiya couldn't help but laugh.

& & &

"Wow, Nyla exclaimed back on the ship, Nathaniel's price had gone up. 17 Bostais."

"Well, what do you want to spend it on?" Serena said tossing Nyla a can of expensive beer and flopping down into one of the floating recliners next to her.

They both exchanged looks "alcohol, clothes, and food." They both said at the same time.

"You have an oncoming message," the computer said.

"Let it through." Serena yelled opening another beer.

They spun around to face the screen just in time. The face of a handsome man covered the whole screen. He was sitting at a desk. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. He had long black hair, and blue eyes that would send Serena running for her money. On his right eye, there was a very nasty scar, but he was still beautiful all the same.

"Hello my Shining Stars." he said in a heavy masculine voice. This is what made Nyla fall in love with him.

"Hi Devin." They said in unison.

"So Devin, when am I gonna get that solo mission to your office, huh?' Nyla said seductively, giving Devin a lustful glare.

"When hell freezes over", he said under his breath, "I mean you know you can't."

"Aw why not? Is it because you know you can't handle me, I'm just too much for you huh?"

"Yeah something likes that."

"Don't worry I'll be gentle...maybe." she said in a sexy voice.

"Well anyway on with your new mission." he said quickly averting his eyes away from Nyla.

"What is it?" Serena asked laughing.

"It's Baronu, he has stolen something valuable, and the people he robbed are helpless without it."

"What did he steal?" Nyla asked.

"He has stolen the powers of the protectors of the milky way galaxy." At this Serena froze. Nyla glanced at her.

"What are the protectors' names?" she asked seriously.

"The sailor scouts" he said, looking at a file on his desk, "and their contact is a Miss Luna Moon (is that her last name? Does she have one?). You will have to go to earth and pick up these protectors."

"Wait, hold on. We work alone." Nyla said pointing to herself and Serena who was still frozen.

"I know, but they insist on coming and a bostais a bostais. Here are the coordinates of where you will be able to locate them." he said as an address was faxed to them. And with that, he was gone.

"Are you alright with this mission Serena?" Nyla asked concerned. As she read the address.

Coming back to her senses, she smiled. "Oh I'm fine with it, it's been 2 ½ years, this means payback." Then she laughed crazily and fell asleep in the chair.

"Told her not to drink that cheap beer." Nyla said typing in a route to Earth on the computer.

2 days later

Nyla and Serena had landed at an abandoned factory. They had made it to earth and were about to pick up the annoying scouts. Instead of there uniforms they wore leather.

Serena was wearing short black leather shorts, a white belly T-shirt, black leather knee-high boots, and a black leather jacket.

Nyla was wearing tight black leather pants, a regular blue T-shirt, and a stylish black trench coat, with combat boots finishing it off.

Deciding to show up in style, they had Jack make them motorcycles, with matching helmets. Serena had all her hair crammed in her helmet, while Nyla wore hers loose, no braid. Looking at the list one more time they headed for Darien's apartment. Where all the scouts would be waiting.

It wasn't long before they made it there. Keeping the helmets on, they rang the doorbell.

Darien opened the door to find two women leaning on either side of his doorframe.

"Who are you?" he asked, making the entire group of girls, crowd around him to see.

"We're the bounty hunters you hired." Nyla answered. She and Serena had planned this already. Serena wouldn't say anything until they were on the ship, and in space.

"You sure don't look like bounty hunters." Rei said rolling her eyes.

Next thing Rei knew were two guns being held to her head. "What's that? Just because we're women we can't be bounty hunters?"

"No no. Not what I was thinking." she said nervously.

"Better not." she said while putting they put their guns back into the gun holders. "Now where is this Luna Moon?" She asked looking at them.

"I'm right here." A voice said down by their feet.

Nyla looked down and screamed. "Ahhh, another one." she screamed struggling to get her gun out. But was stopped by Serena placing her hand on her shoulder and shaking her head.

"Why don't you like cats?" asked the inquisitive **(cough**nosy**cough)** voice of Amy.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we once got an assignment to transport an animal. And it was a talking...Satan possessed, cat." Nyla shuddered at the thought of the evil cat.

Serena held up her watch and pointed at it.

"Oh yeah, we need to hurry. Now miss err Luna, what is it you need of us again?" Nyla asked Luna, keeping a steady hand on her gun.

"Right, these are the guardians of this solar system, the Sailor Scouts, and Tuxedo Mask. Their powers were stolen by a new enemy from space. We need you to guide them through space to find him. "Said Luna a little shaken by the gun incident.

"Fine then, if you would follow us, we will take you to our ship." Nyla said as she and Serena walked away from the door.

"Hey," Rei yelled running in front of the two, "why doesn't she talk?" she asked looking at Serena suspiciously.

"Because," Nyla said getting close to Rei's face, "we made a bet, and she lost, so she can't talk till we get on the ship."

"Oh." Rei said as the two walked past her without a word.

The others stopped by her side. "Do you think we can trust them?" Lita said.

"I don't know they seem very hostile," said Amy.

"I think we can trust them." Darien said positioning his head to get a good look at the bounty hunter's behinds.

The scouts scowled, and pushed passed him, purposely hitting him with their duffle bags. They had all a secret relationship with him.

They made it to the parking lot to see the bounty hunters mounted on two motorcycles.

The talkative's was black with purple fire emblazoned on it. The quiet one's was dark blue almost black, with pictures of planets and stars painted on.

"Come on we don't have all day." Nyla yelled over the roar of the bikes.

Obeying, the scouts all piled into Darien's car. As soon as the car was started up, Serena and Nyla took off.

The girls made it to the ship first. They had already loaded he bikes on by the time Darien and the scouts made it.

They were in complete Aw at the site of it.

"If you're finish then I would like to get off this planet of yours." Nyla yelled impatiently.

With a glare at the bounty hunters, the scouts walked up the ramp to the ship, which the hunters had lowered.

"Good-bye scouts, bye Darien. Be careful." Luna yelled as the ramp was brought in and the door closed.

The scouts waved to Luna as the ship rose. They were astounded when it sped up and they saw the earth, get smaller and smaller.

"Okay kids shows over." Nyla yelled as she ushered them away from the window.

"Could you give us a little sympathy? We were just saying bye." Amy said as she stopped pushing them.

"Well sorry," Nyla said not sounding sorry at all, "but we are about to go into hyper drive and we need you to buckle up. Unless you would like being plastered to our wall."

"Well where are the chairs? I don't see any." Rei said rudely.

"No need to worry they will come to you." Serena finally spoke up typing on the computer dashboard, as 5 chairs popped out of the floor knocking the scouts and Darien down into them. Then scrapped them in with black seatbelts.

Darien and the scouts stared at the quiet huntress's head. That was all they could see for she had taken a seat in a chair. (For now on when I say scouts, I mean Darien too.)

Nyla stood behind the scouts grinning like crazy at their reactions.

The scouts watched with beating hearts when she took of her helmet and they saw golden blond hair.

Their breath became ragged as she slowly and dramatically turned the chair around.

'That voice that hair, please don't let it be who I think it is?' they thought. 'Oh no.'

Serena was now fully turned around. Her legs were crossed, she wore a mischievous smirk on her face, and she held a champagne glass in her hand.

"Surprise surprise. Just when you thought, it was safe to go outside again. Muahahaha"

"That's it I'm throwing that cheap beer away." Nyla yelled from behind the now unconscious scouts, who seemed to have feinted when Serena started laughing.

"Please do. I don't think I can take another one." Serena said clutching her head.

"Okay. What do we do with the rag-tye bunch?" Nyla said pointing to the scouts.

"Oh I think I know." Serena said standing up.

"Ooh you're bad." Nyla said as she caught on.

**glup glup** went the air bubbles inside the capsules in the control room.

The scouts were in a state of bliss. After that horrible nightmare they had just had, they didn't notice they were wet and floating.

Slowly their eyes drifted opened and what they saw made them all scream.

ALIENS! Tall, skinny, green, aliens. With PROBES!

When they started screaming and giant air bubbles flew out their mouths, did they finally noticed they were in water.

"Do you think they noticed that they were breathing?" The first alien said to the second as their skin melted away revealing Serena and Nyla in their bounty hunters suit.

"Probably not. The idiots." Nyla said as she stood beside the capsules typing in the codes on a keypad that appeared out of the wall. She and Serena watched as the scouts fell out of the capsules soaking wet.

"You do know kidnapping is against the law." Rei said as she and the other scout stood up shaking and glaring at Serena.

"Kidnapping? Kidnapping? On contraire, you hired bounty hunters, and you got them." Serena told them smiling.

"Besides, what are you gonna do? Call the earthen police on us. This is space darlings; no one can hear you scream." Nyla spoke up behind them as she made her way past them to get to the control panel.

The scouts watched on defeatedly as Serena smirked at them before going over to Nyla. Not knowing what else to do they followed.

Stopping a good distance away from the girls, the scouts watched as the one named Nyla began fiddling with some buttons on the control panel.

They watched her for a minute before the screen lit up, showing the face of a handsome man.

"Oh he's gorgeous."

"What a hunk."

"Oh my."

"He's not so great."

"He looks just like my ex-boyfriend."

"Serena you never told me they were whacked." Nyla said aloud to Serena, who, looked at her out of the corner of her eye smirking.

"Guess I forgot." She said.

"Hey! We can hear you." Lita yelled.

"We know." Nyla replied as they both turned their backs on them to face the screen.

In the background, the scouts can be seen holding a fuming Lita back.

"Shining Stars, status report please ladies." Devin asked charmingly in front of their guests.

Huffing annoyingly Nyla began to give the report as Serena plopped down sideways into the floating chair she had resided in earlier.

Turning around in the chair, Serena stared boredly at the scouts, who stared resentfully at her. Smirking, she punched in a few buttons, and made the chair circle around the scouts, who dared not take their eyes off her. Getting bored with watching them spin their heads like fools, Serena punched in a few more buttons and made the chair head over to the bar.

Finishing the report, Nyla stared thoughtfully up at Devin. "Hey Devin, has there been anymore listings of Baronu stealing powers of other galaxies protectors."

"Yes sadly." he seriously.

"What about m...you know...what about them?" she asked him uneasily.

"No. well at least, not yet."

"Oh okay then, well keep me posted," she said giving him a weak smile.

"No problem." he said smiling reassuringly.

Just then Serena rolled up with a half-empty bottle of champagne** (Me, I would say it was half-full.)** "What's going on guys?" she asked happily face a little red.

"I was just about to send in your pay." Devin said playing it off smoothly.

"OH YIPPIE!" Serena yelled happily in her half-drunken state.

"In coming parcel." The computer stated after a while.

"Let it through." Nyla said excitedly.

A zooming sound could be heard on the platform as a white light in the shape of a bag materialized on it.

"Hey, one of you scouts mind handing us that bag?" Nyla yelled to them hopefully.

In return, they just glared at her. "We hired you, so you work for us, not the other way around." Darien stated being the highly educated orphan boy he was.

"OH DARIEN I FORGOT HOW KNOW-IT-ALL YOU WERE. STOP IT, YOU'RE MAKING ME ALL HOT AND BOTHERED!" Serena yelled heatedly making sensual noises and movements.

Everyone was speechless and bug-eyed as she continued, Darien the most.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nyla asked confused and suspicious.

"Where did you learn that?" Darien asked awingly. At this, all the scouts gave him dirty looks.

"What, can't I express myself to my ex-boyfriend and would've been future ex-husband." she asked innocently as she pulled her fingers out her mouth.

"Not in that sort of way." Nyla answered half teasing, half-scolding, quarter-half amusingly.

Blowing air, Serena sat up straight. "Where's Tony "fingers" when you need him?" she said dreamingly.

"Tony?" Nyla asked just as dreamingly.

"Tony." Serena confirmed still dreamingly.

"Tony." They both sighed dreamingly.

Silence 

"Ahem. We are still here, you know." Devin interrupted a little irked; he never did like Tony "Fingers" Malloy.

"Oh yeah. The money. Pull it together Serena. You can play with Jack later." Nyla stated coming out of their little fantasy first, and heading over to the forgotten.

"Jack? I totally forgot about Jack. Is Jack even fun to play with?" Serena said more to herself than Nyla.

"Who's Jack? Who's Tony for that matter?" Darien asked peeved.

"What's the matter? Jealous?" Rei asked angrily. Stomping on his feet, as the other girls hit him in other places.

"HEY DEVIN WHAT ARE TRYING TO PULL? THIS IS ONLY HALF. WHERE'S THE REST OF OUR MONEY? WE ARE NOT BABYSITTING THE BRATS FOR HALF THE PAY?" Nyla yelled scaring everyone, making them cower in fear.

"HEY!" the scouts yelled indignantly, only to be ignored.

"Oh my god, Devin. Give her her money. I've never seen her, this angry." Serena said timidly to Devin, who was hiding behind his desk, even though he was safe from her physical wrath, verbal wrath on the other hand.

"DEVIN! GIVE ME THE REST OF OUR FUCKING MONEY BITCH!"

"You yelled at Devin. You love Devin. You never yell at Devin." A wide-eyed Serena said to a very angry Nyla.

"YOU SHUT UP YOU WHORE! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THE BITCH WITH OUR MONEY!"

"C...c...calm down Nyla. It's just insurance that you and Serena bring the scouts back unharmed, with all their possessions, limbs, skin, clothes, and hair intact. You will receive the rest of your money when they are safely back on earth with their powers. Now take care, and I bid you au revoir." And with that, the screen went black and all was silent.

"That bastard how dare you?" Nyla seethed through clenched teeth. "Did you hear this crap Serena? Serena? What's the matter boo? Why are you crying?"

"I am not a whore." Serena sobbed through silent hysterical tears.

"gasp oh baby I'm sorry. You know Nyla didn't mean it." Nyla cried as she hugged the crying Serena.

"I don't why you would call me a whore. I'm not a whore. I don't even act whorish." Serena continued to cry as if trying to convince herself.

"I got caught up in the moment, I didn't mean it. I haven't even taken my medicine today."

"You haven't?" Serena asked calming down.

"No. I'm crazy as a nuctar rabbit."

"Oh okay. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? CALLING ME A WHORE! I'M NOT A WHORE! THOSE ARE THE WHORES!" Serena ended up yelling as she pointed towards the scouts.

"You feel better now that you got that out?"

"Yeah, a little. Man, you ruined my good mood. I don't even wanna play with Jack anymore. That really upset me."

"Ohhh. He will be disappointed."

"I know. That's all your though. He's gonna be mad at you."

"I know. Anyway, Devin said we have to take really good care of them." Nyla said referring to the scouts.

"sowe can't put them in the holding cell with the bounties."

"Nooooo. We have to give them rooms." Nyla said as if talking to a child.

Silence 

"Well you go head and just do that. Since you ruined my mood and all." Serena said as she placed her hand behind her head and waltzed out of the control room before Nyla could object.

Turning to look at the scouts, she huffed, "Come on, follow me."


	3. Chp 3 Evacuation

A/N: I have gone back and edited Chp 1 & 2. They aren't major changes, but I did add something onto Nyla's looks. I've added on that her hair is purple and her eyes are dark yellow with blue-green pupils.

Chp 3. Evacuation

"Oh my god, Serena, get out here quick!" Nyla yelled through the bathroom door.

A few minutes later Serena came running out of the sliding electronic door. Hair loose and wet, a towel wrapped around her wet body, and gun in hand.

"What? What's going on? Is it Gerry? Is he back? Cause if he is...Nyla? " looking around confusedly she jumped in fright as the 'whoosh' of the door closing sounded behind her as Nyla dashed in. "Aww no fair Nyla. I was in the middle of a shower. Nyla?" Serena whined bamming on the door. "Open up! You always do this!" she yelled as she began to cry dropping her gun to the ground.

"Well I see you haven't changed much meatball head."

Hearing her old nickname, Serena straightened up before turning around.

"Hello Darien." She said trying to looking as menacing as you can, all wet and naked wrapped in a towel. "So Dar, how have these years treated you?"

Darien stood there in front of her clad in nothing but a pair of boxers showing off a robust chest and strong legs.

"Just fine," he said brazenly leaning his back against the wall. "And by the looks of it, so are you."

"By fine do you mean I'm sexy fine, or the years have treated me well fine?" she questioned innocently.

"Does it matter?" he asked blatantly.

"Not really. But I would prefer to be the sexy fine if you don't mine." She said coming to stand closely in front of him.

"Look at you bunny, this is where you've been hiding. In outer space. My little bunny. Traveling the universe. Catching bad guys all by yourself."

"See that's where you're wrong Dar. I'm not little anymore I'm all grown up. I've matured 'somewhat'. I'm wiser in many ways you'll never know." She told him in a provocative voice, pressing herself against him and getting closer, until she was so close that when she talked her lips swept over his.

"I've missed you bunny," he said breathlessly his eyes wide open.

"I know you have." She mocked before kissing him passionately, catching him off guard.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he deepened the kiss, as she put her arms around his neck and wrapped a leg around him.

"What's going on here?" a confused, yet angry, voice asked, disturbing the two ex-lovers moment.

Breaking the kiss, they each looked over to Rei with two different expressions. Serena wore an annoyed yet smug, I-know-what-I-did-what-you-gonna-do-about-it look. While Darien on the other hand looked, in his dazed state, confused, scared and nervous.

"May we help you, because I do believe we were in the middle of something? Weren't we Dar?" she asked her former teammate never changing her facial expression or her body position.

"Yeah...uh...no. No Rei. I, she...we...uh..." he stuttered pushing Serena off of him and going over to Rei, who, ignored him completely as she stared daggers at Serena.

Said person was staring back at Rei with her smug look in place. "Is there a problem miss mars."

"Yeah. Yeah there is." Rei said becoming angrier. "The problem is you...kissing...my...boyfriend." she ground out pushing Darien against the wall, as he tried to escape.

"He's your boyfriend?" Serena asked in mock surprise as she bent down to pick up her discarded gun.

"Yes he is, and you damn well knew it!" she growled out furiously.

"Yeah I admit I knew. And I kissed him. Hard and rough. And he liked it, didn't you hear him moan. I did that. Because I knew. I knew he was your boyfriend, and I knew you would see us. I knew you would come. I knew it all and still I did it. And I just have one thing to say." Serena said in a dangerously low voice as she stood in Rei's face.

"And what's that?" Rei asked slowly also in a dangerously low voice.

"It hurts...doesn't it?" and with that said she walked away calmly and coolly, but not before stopping in front of Darien again. Biting her bottom lip, she looked him up and down. Slipping a finger into the waist front of his boxers she pulled on it a little before letting go. "See ya round Dar."

Watching Serena walk away, Darien turned around only to meet the eyes of a fuming Lady of mars. Grabbing his arm, she dragged him back down the corridor. "Come on. You're not sleeping alone anymore."

"So...bored!" Nyla exclaimed to herself as she walked down the corridors.

Listening to Serena seduce Darien, and the confrontation she had had with Rei, had been exciting, but after they stormed back to their rooms, she was left with no entertainment.

She still hadn't taken her medicine, so she had the pleasure of anticipation as she turned every corner.

She couldn't mess with the scouts, for fear of not getting paid. She dare not go to Serena, because Serena had the habit of shooting at things that try to wake her.

So that left only one person, Jack. Putting her hands behind her head, she turned around and headed towards the lab.

Besides the plop of her bare feet hitting the floor, the only sound that she heard was the monotonous hum of the ship.

That was, until she heard a different sort of plop. It was the plop of something falling, making her stop in her tracks. Then she both saw and heard something small and long slither fastly by her foot to hide in the shadows ahead of her.

"AIIIEEE!" she screamed as she jumped into the air, grabbing onto the pipes that ran along the ceiling. "YES, ENTERTAINMENT! THANK YOU OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION!"

After looking around for any other surprises, the corridor was once again quiet.

"Damn it." she said disappointedly as her body went slack on the pipe. Now bored again, she hung limply, upside down, on the pipe, pouting. Then suddenly, movement caught her eye in the shadows ahead of her. Something was on the pipe with her **(no pun intended)** and it was slowly moving towards her. A broad smile broke across her face.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the something drew closer. Then only a few feet away from her it stopped, but it was now in clear view.

Whatever it was, it was as long and wide as a human arm, and was a dark reddish-black color. Her smile grew wider as her body shook with anticipation. Then, just as slowly as it crawled or slithered, for there were no arms or legs, it lifted its head up and the smile on Nyla's face suddenly disappeared as it was replace by a look a horror and fright.

The creatures head only consisted of two shockingly yellow eyes and a vertical mouth that opened up revealing rows upon rows of small, sharp, vicious looking teeth. Rearing Back the creature let out a high-pitched screech before attacking, which was so fast Nyla barely had enough to let go of the pipes before the creature bit into her shoulder. Leaving a raw, bleeding, burning wound.

"Argh." She moaned as she landed on her wounded shoulder.

Fighting back another moan of pain, Nyla staggered painfully to her feet, and after hearing a hissing sound, she looked up and saw that the creature was hiding in the shadows down the corridor, only its yellow eyes visible.

Not taking her eyes off the creature, she began to move slowly backwards, her good arm moving down to her gun holster, only to find that it wasn't there.

Glancing down, to make sure she was right, she broke eye contact and regretted the second she did, for the creature let out another screech and slithered as fast towards her as if it had legs.

Holding her shoulder with her good arm Nyla took off running in the opposite direction thanking all that could that hear her, that her species were fast and agile runners.

Up ahead, a door that connected two corridors together came into view, and with a new resolve, Nyla put on an extra burst of speed, the creature close behind. Finally making it to the door Nyla hurriedly pushed in the code.

"Invalid code. Please insert correct code." The computer droned.

"No!" Nyla screamed as she began to put in another number, the creature almost to her.

"Invalid code. Please innsssseeeert..." the computer began to say only to have Nyla run her fist through it and making the door slide open, where she swiftly fell in.

In too much pain to move Nyla sat on the floor willing the door to close before the creature had a chance to get in.

"Please close, Please close." She pleaded as perspire rolled down her face and blood ran down her arm. Then finally, the door began to close, but the creature, seeing its meal getting away, launched itself into the air, only to hit the door and it slammed shut.

Letting out a shaky breath she laughed a laugh that wasn't from humor. "Note to self, remove all code locks." Then laughing that non-humorous laugh again, she grunted against the pain and made her way to Serena's room.

Upon reaching Serena's door, Nyla stood outside, contemplating on whether to enter and get shot, or knock and stay out in the hall where that creature, and maybe even more, was roaming the halls. And as if trying to persuade her, the wound on her shoulder sent a wave of pain through her, but she just ignored it. A wound to the shoulder was better than having a hole blasted through your head.

"Serena, open the door!" Nyla yelled as she bammed on the door, and waited for the tell tale signs of a gun being fired a couple of rounds before entering.

"Nyla?" Serena asked sleepily, gun in hand smoking. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?"

"We have a big problem Rena." Nyla said as she sat in beanbag chair.

"A problem? What type of problem? The last problem that made you come in here in the middle of the night, when you know how I act, was when Lorenzo was here." At the mention of the name Lorenzo, both girls shuddered.

"No, not as bad as Lorenzo, but almost as bad. I don't know what it is or if there's more, but it did this to my shoulder." Nyla said before removing her hand from her bloody shoulder.

"Oh my God! Are you alright?" was what Serena meant to say but it came out: "DAMN! IT TOO A CHUNK OUT OF YOU DIDN'T IT?"

"Thanks for your concern." Nyla growled darkly.

"Yeah you're welcome." Serena said hastily as she came over to inspect the wound. "Whoa, my goodness. Whew. Look at it. It's turning purple."

"DON'T JUST LOOK AT IT, HELP ME!" Nyla yelled irritated.

"Oh, oh yeah. Wait hold on." Serena rambled as she went over to a wall and pressed in a code, making the wall slowly open up revealing, chains, whips, food, paddles, handcuffs... "Whoa wrong wall!" Serena yelled out, before frantically closing the wall back up manually.

"What was that?" Nyla asked suspiciously.

"What was what? You didn't see anything." Serena told her in an innocent voice, as she began to punch in another code.

"We're going to have a little chat later."

"Here we go. First aid wall." Serena hastily said pulling out bandages, disinfectant, alcohol, rags, hot water flask, and an injection gun.

"Don't try to change the subject we're gonnaaaaahhhh!" Nyla yelled as Serene shot her with the injection gun.

"Killing off the poison."

"We don't even know if it's poisonous."

"Just taking precautions."

"...so I ended up here." Nyla said as she finished telling Serena what happened.

"Oh wow. We have to get out of here." Serena said in a calm voice.

"I know. So I was thinking that we program the ship to head to Devin's so he can take care of the problem, while you and I escape in the cruisers."

"Good idea, but it's going to be pack with 8 people in 2 one seat cruisers." Serena said imaging a can of sardines in her head.

"What do you mean 8 people, me and you make 2 not 8."

"And with my scouts make 7, and Jack 8."

"Do we have to take them along?" Nyla wined.

"Yes we do, because, although I hate them and will be fired when I go back home. My Galaxy still needs protectors until I return." Serena reasoned with her.

"Ok, so what about Jack? He's not protecting anything."

"Well, if we leave Jack, who will entertain us with new and fun gadgets of death." Serena said happily.

"Yeah. Those gadgets are fun." Nyla agreed whimsy like.

"Ok so we put the ship on auto pilot, get Jack and the scouts, pile into the cruisers and high tail it out of here."

"Yeah that's about it."

"Good, so all we need to do is suit up." Serena said clapping her hands together.

"Yay, I love suit up." Nyla yipped, as she jumped onto Serena's changing platform. "Nyla-Shining Star-SUIT UP!" Nyla yelled before the familiar light surrounded her as the changing air blew her hair into the air.

"You know, he might be a pervert, but he's a smart little pervert." Nyla told Serena as she got off of the changing platform in her armor.

Nyla's armor was black. She wore black, metal, high-heeled boots that came just above her ankle. The metal bodysuit she wore fit her legs firmly and even covered her tail. The pants part stopped when it got to the stomach and crisscrossed until it got to the chest where it covered the whole chest area. The helmet she wore only the top of her head, where it came to two points shaped like cat ears, and holes were cut out where the eyes were. Her hair was in its usual braid, hanging from under her helmet. She also wore elbow length metal gloves where her claws could extract easily from, and the spots of her body that were not covered by the armor were wrapped in white impenetrable fabric.

"Why don't you let you natural traits show more, they make you look even more exotic." Serena suggested as she watched Nyla's tail flick back in forth in its metal armor casing.

"Because if talk of an Animalitian sighted around bounty hunting, they'll get suspicious and come and get me, and no one wants that." Nyla said bitterly.

"Whatever you say Nyla. How do I look?"

Serena's armor was silver. Unlike Nyla's, Serena's boots were flat bottomed and came up to her knees. The body armor started as a pair of metal loose fitting shorts with two wide strips of metal hanging off her hips and stopping above the knee. The armor covered all her back and chest and covered her shoulders completely, coming to a point a ½ foot from her body. Her gloves stopped at the risk, but her cuffs were an inch thick and 2 ½ inches wide from her wrist. Her helmet covered her whole head, and where the eyes would be, there was a strip of white, hard, plastic, where Serena could see out, but none could see in. And just like Nyla, the parts of her body that wasn't covered, was wrapped in an impenetrable, white fabric.

"Like...the runt of the Amazonian 12s."

"Thanks, you are so sweet."

"I know, but let's get back to business. I have my whip, but we still need more weapons."

"Got you on that." Serena told her as she began counting tiles. "5...10...15" she yipped as she stomped on tile 15 making it launch itself into the air, exposing a code pad on it under side. Catching it, Serena punched in a few numbers before dropping it back into place.

Nothing happened for a few seconds then the walls seemed to melt into the floor, tables and chairs were replaced by counters, the bed was flipped over, and the floor turned translucent, all revealing guns and weapons of all sorts.

"Oh yeah, Rena. We are so defiantly going to have to chat later."

"Hey Nyla?" Serena asked as they carefully trotted through the halls, she, guarding the rear with her pole.

After suiting up, the two had set off towards the control room, and put the ship into autopilot towards home base, AKA Devin's house.

"Yes?" Nyla answered as she traveled along in an animal like fashion on her hands and feet.

"Those things that attacked you, did they, make any sounds or noises?"

"Yeah," Nyla said as she put her head in the air listening. "They screech when they're attacking, and they slither. Something's coming." She whispered.

They stopped and waited in tense silence. Serena with her staff in attack position staring at the back, while Nyla's hand rested on her whip at her side facing the front.

"That boy gets around doesn't he?" Nyla suddenly said as she got out of her fighting stance and pointed up the hall where Darien was sneaking out of Mina's room.

"Just a regular little isn't whore isn't he?" Serena said loudly. Making Darien halt guilty in his tracks.

"So it would seem." Nyla said as she and Serena began to walk towards the frozen in place boy.

"At least we don't have to hunt all of them down." Serena commented as they picked Darien up by the arms and hoisted him back into Mina's room.

"AHHH! What are you doing get out of here you freaks!" Mina yelled angrily as she tried to cover herself up with the sheets.

"Shut up Venus. We're evacuating the ship; it's been infested." Serena told her blankly as they dropped Darien to the ground.

"Infested? With what?" Darien asked angrily as he picked himself up.

"Don't know but whatever it was, it took a chunk out of Nyla's shoulder."

"So what are we to do, we can't protect you, we have no powers." Mina asked as panic began to rise in her voice.

"Put on clothes, pack light, we do the protecting." Nyla said as she tossed Mina her bag and discarded clothes.

"Well could you perverts turn around while I dress?"

"Or you can go in the closet." Serena suggests as she and Nyla plopped down in chairs.

Seeing that their minds were made up, Mina angrily wrapped the sheets around her form, grabbed and pair of clothes, and stomped angrily into the closet.

"Hey whore boy, where do you think you're going?" Nyla yelled to Darien, who, was heading for the door.

"I need my things if we're going to evacuate," he said matter-of-factly.

"No, you wait til Venus gets dress, and then we all go together." Serena told him.

"But my room's right around the corner, I'll be back before she even gets out." he argued.

"Didn't you hear us? There are things out there that bite out chunks. Alright...you go out there and watch you'll be missing half your ass." Nyla warned as he ignored them and opened the door.

The door opened. The hall way was empty.

"You see, nothing to worry about, I'll be alright." Darien told them as he stepped out into the hall and looked it up and down.

"Really? Then what the hell is that behind you?" Nyla asked as she cocked her gun.

Turnig around, Darien yelled in fright as he saw the infestation. Screeching, the creature slithered after Darien, who had found safety in Serena's arms, and was promptly shot back into the hall by Nyla's gun.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Mina yelled as she came bumbling out of the closet, fully dressed.

"Nothing to worry about, right Darien?" Serena said as she dropped her ex-lover.

"Eww!" Mina squealed as she caught sight of the creature's body.

"You all packed?" Serena asked her. Mina, too shocked, just shook her head yes.

"Alright then, Kiddies lets round up the rest of the Mickey Mouse Club." Nyla said as she shooed them outside.

"You two are insufferable." Ami said angrily as she, Rei, and Lita were abruptly awaken from their sleep by two women in armor.

"So are you. It's not like we want to be up at this time of night." Nyla retorted, not looking at them.

"So why are we?" Lita growled as she ground her teeth together.

"Because..." Nyla sighed, tired of repeating herself. "...the ship is infested and we must evacuate."

"Infested? Infested with what?" Rei asked almost hysterically, and no one could tell if it was from wanting to go back to sleep or a fear of that infestation.

"Worm like creatures." Serena said simply from her position ahead of the group without any hint of an emotion.

"Worm like creatures? Worm like creatures!" Rei yelled angrily, making everyone halt in their tracks. "You got us out of bed for maggots! And no doubt, it's your fault for all the food you try to shovel in your mouth you pig!"

All were silent as they awaited Serena's reaction, but she didn't even look back as her body shook with barely controllable rage.

"Nyla." Serena called back with a surprisingly even voice.

"Yeah." Nyla answered, with a surprised look.

"I'm going to ahead and scout out the best route." And not waiting for a reply, she walked off.

Without a word, Nyla went up to Rei and began to rub her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she yelled hysterically brushing Nyla's hands away.

"Girl. Someone blessed you, and I'm trying to see if any of it would rub off on me." Nyla said so seriously that no one could comment.

Nyla and the scouts continued to make their way safely through the ship.

Nyla was crouching in the lead in a cat like manner, giving Darien quite a show.

'Why does she have to walk like that?' Rei thought moodily, watching as her boyfriend looked at the bounty huntress with hungry eyes.

"Where are we going?" Lita asked, also watching the bounty huntress.

"To get Jack." She replied as she stood up straight and faced one of the code locked doors.

"Who's Jack?" Amy inquired curiously.

"Our little man slave, to use and beat to our hearts content." Nyla told her as she began to punch in the code for the door.

Darien opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he was about to say was never learned for just as he began to speak, the door Nyla was working on opened and out ran a very dilapidated looking Serena.

"We can't go that way," she said breathlessly as she leant against the now closed door breathing heavily.

Everyone looked astonishingly at her.

"What?" she asked irritated.

"You have...you...you got a little..." reaching up with a tentative hand, Nyla knocked a slimy tentacle off Serena's helmet. It wasn't one of the worm like creatures. It was a tentacle with spikes, and teeth.

Everyone looked from the tentacle on the floor to Serena, back to the tentacle, then finally back on Serena.

"Okay, about that." Serena explained pointing to the tentacle. "Let's just say, you don't want to go down there...there's a big...well you just don't want to go in there. Trust me."

They were silent a minute as Serena regained her energy. But soon there a very loud, very near, very frightening commotion as something big hit the metal walls of the ship.

"Uh, oh, time to go." Serena said hastily as she began to run down the hall, not waiting for the others.

The scouts and Nyla soon caught up to Serena, she was standing silently by the wall, looking intently around the corner every once and a while.

Without looking their way, she beckoned them to be quiet and come nearer.

"What are you looking at?" Nyla whispered.

"The hall to Jack's room is filled with those creatures."

"Oh." Nyla said as she and the scouts all craned there necks around the corner to look at the creatures, and what they saw made them clamp a hand over each other's mouth. For Serena was right, the hall was filled with the creatures. The creatures were, on the floor, the walls, ceiling, and pipes. It was a nesting place, for there were cocoons, and eggs everywhere.

"Ok, now, everybody needs to back up, because someone is literally...all in my ass." Nyla muttered darkly as everyone backed up.

"Nyla, do you have a Nitro bomb?" Serena asked, still looking around the corner.

"Yeah, why?"

"Give it to me.," she said not answering her question.

Feeling the bomb in her outstretched hand, Serena bolted out into the open, squeezed the trigger, and threw the bomb into the midst of the infestation, before jumping back around the corner for cover. There was an earsplitting screech and a flash of blue light as the bomb went off.

"Okay, the bomb didn't get them all, but enough so that they won't be too much of a trouble."

"Are there enough to use guns?" Nyla asked as an eager look flashed across her face.

"There are always enough for guns, but do you really want to use them. I mean, wouldn't you rather go at it hands on?" Serena asked in a voice to match Nyla's face.

"Can we use Jack's toys?" Nyla asked in a child like voice.

"I thought you'd never ask." And with that said, Both Nyla and Serena pulled out their own unique weapons. Nyla pulled out a whip that crackled with electricity whenever she moved it and a gold, metal, rod manifested in Serena's hand that soon expanded into a golden staff. Looking at each other for a moment, they bolted.

Serena took off, and Nyla followed a second after, jumped upon Serena's shoulders, and bolted off into the midst of the remaining creatures, flinging her whip in every which way, electrocuting and frying all in its path.

After seeing Nyla, flying off her shoulder Serena pushed the staff into the ground and pole-vaulted over the first few creatures. Once her feet touched the ground, she began spinning her staff around herself so fast it was bare visible, then slammed it down on the ground in front of her where sounds waves were seen rippling from the impact point. All creatures that were touched by the waves exploded on contact.

The scouts came from behind the corner and watched in awe as the two bounty huntresses fought together. It was all synchronized from the scouts' point of view, and if they hadn't of known that they were fighting the infestation, it was like a never-ending dance. The girls were never standing in the same place for long. They were constant motion, what with having to dodge each other's attacks, and the creatures. Whenever Nyla's whip came within her fighting area, Serena would do some impossible weaving within its spaces, and whenever Serena's staff waves would ripple near her, Nyla would have to bounce from wall to wall to ceiling to wall, until the waves were in a different position. And all this was done while not pausing from their fight. It was truly a beautiful sight, and the colors only made it more glamorous. The background was a bluish-white from the area being frozen by the nitro bomb. There were flashes of brownish-red from the remaining creatures. Black, silver, gold, yellow, purple, and electric blue were everywhere. Beautiful.

'They look beautiful.'

'She never fought that good with us.'

'Maybe we were the problem.'

'Kind of makes you feel inferior.'

'I wonder if anyone is as turned on as I am.'

Were the thoughts of the scouts as they watched this unfold.

"Did we get them all?" Nyla asked Serena as the two stood in the hall, back to back, breathing heavily, and weapons poised and ready.

"I don't know, but if we didn't, they've gone to get recruits. So let's move out." The latter she yelled at the stunned scouts, before running further up the hall. She could hear some of the scouts squealing in disgust at the carcasses on the floor, but she paid them no head, for they had arrived at Jack's lab, and the door was being eaten through slowly by the creatures. But a quick whack of her staff soon solved that.

"JACK!" Serena yelled as she forced the damaged door open, where Nyla immediately pounced in, looking for their slave friend.

"What?" Jack asked in an irritated voice, appearing from behind his desk with a gun in hand.

"Jack!" Nyla yipped as she pounced onto Jack's back from atop the aquarium she was perched on, and knocking the gun from his hands.

"What...are...what are you doing here?" Jack grunted as he picked himself up off the floor.

"What are we doing here? Haven't you noticed the infestation?" Serena asked gesturing around.

"Yes, and I was handling it just fine thank you." he huffed, as he stood up and brushed himself off with an indignant look upon his face.

Nyla stepped up to him and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. "Jack, honey...they were eating through your door." She said slowly looking him straight in his lavender eyes.

"I know." he cried, collapsing onto her shoulder and crying into her armor. Nyla put an arm around his shoulder and began to rub comforting circles on his back.

"It's alright Jack. Just let it out." Serena said as she came over to give him a comforting hug.

The scouts all stood at the door and watched the three all hug and comfort each other.

'She used to do that for us.'

'So this is Jack.'

'They all must care deeply for each other.'

'We don't do that anymore since she left.'

'Why am I so turned on by this?'

Were the thoughts going through the scouts mind. And all was silent. Until...

"GET OFF YOU PERV!" was the simultaneous yells of both Nyla and Serena as they knocked Jack off his feet with their fist.

"Well you just had to ruin the moment, didn't you Jack?" Serena chided as Nyla fumed.

"Every time we have a moment, you just have to cop a feel. Didn't your mother teach you better?" Nyla asked.

Jack thought for a while before bursting out in more tears. "I NEVER KNEW MY MOTHER!" he cried. "I think I need another hug." He said reaching out for them.

"Don't make me shoot you Jack. I've done it once while drunk and I've done it twice while sober. Now, do I need to do it again?" Serena threatened holding up a gun.

"No ma'Am." he said hastily, and then he eyed the scouts. "Hey! Whose kids?"

"Those are the new clients." Nyla said as she began to gather things from around the lab into a bag she had found.

"Really?" Jack asked as he began to tap his fingers together, before appearing amidst the scouts + Darien. "Hello ladies. I am Jack, the resident genius/manservant. And if you need any help, any kind of help, just...call me, and I'll be..." but whatever Jack was going to say was cut off as Nyla dragged him by his hair out the door.

"Come on perv. We have to get off this ship before the infestation gets to be too much of a problem."

"But I want to talk to the pretty young girls." He whined, trying to get out of her grasp, but to no avail.

"Oh you'll have plenty of time to talk with four of us cramped in those tiny escape pods for who knows how long." She growled as she continued to walk down the halls.

"You promise? How cramped? Body parts in your faced cramped, or I can move around, but it's a tight squeeze cramped?"

"The first one."

"Oh thank you. Thank you Nyla. Just make sure that guy is in the ship with Serena so I won't have any nasty experiences."

"Well you better ride with Rena, because I don't think she wants to be in a pod with him."

"Why?"

"You're going to have to ask her." Nyla told him as she stooped to open the door to the next corridor.

"Is that so? Well do you mind if I ask you something?" Jack asked as Nyla let him go and he looked into the open doorway.

"No, go ahead." she said as she turned to face him.

"What the hell is that?" Jack asked calmly.

"Those two are going to make each other very miserable one day." Serena said good-naturedly. "If doesn't get Devin drunk first." She put in as an after thought, as she picked up the discarded bag of Jack's inventions and tools.

"Well come on kiddies. Let's go before one of Jack's creations realizes he's gone." Serena said, addressing the scouts and she headed out the lab door and followed the direction Nyla and Jack went in.

"You're really happy out here with her, aren't you Serena?" Amy asked what the other scouts were thinking.

"Yeah, we're like sisters. I've never been closer to anyone the way I am to her. Out here, I'm free. No one to criticize me, no one to try to take over my position. We're equal partners, and I know she'll never betray me, and I her."

"Serena..." Amy began but was cut off as the sound of someone asking a question reached their ears.

"What the hell is that?" they heard Jack asked in a calm voice.

"You know that's a good question." Nyla answered back as they came into view.

"What are you guys talking about?" Serena asked as she and the scouts came to stand by them.

"Why are you just standing around, we have to get off this ship?" Rei yelled at the two.

"But this is the quickest way to the pods, and well..." Nyla said turning to look at her.

"WELL WHAT?" all the scouts yelled angrily.

"It's blocked." Jack stated.

"By what?" Serena asked this time, becoming agitated.

"This." Nyla answered simply as she pushed the button to open the corridor door.

"Oh, oooohhhhh! By thaaat." Serena said slowly as she looked into the open doorway.

The door opened to show, not the next corridor, but a corridor filled to the rim with a mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles. All identical to the one off Serena's helmet.

"Yeah...That." Nyla said as they all stared at the horrific sight. "So...what to do?" she asked her.

"Firstly...why don't we close that door and permanently lock It.?" she suggested which Nyla promptly did by punching a hole through the code lock. "And second...let's walk away like we never saw it."

"Good idea." Nyla agreed as they all turned and began to walk away.

"Just pretend we didn't see it, and nothing bad usually happens." Serena said. But a few seconds later there a groaning sound behind them.

"Okay, maybe we can walk a little faster." Jack suggested.

The groaning now became louder and the sound of various screws and bolts being shot out of there holes could be heard.

"How bout we jog?" Nyla asked nervously.

Behind them the groaning and other sounds stooped, but they kept on jogging for the next sound they heard was the door crashing open and the tentacles falling into the hall they were in and began to slither and crawl towards them at a speed that would put a race dog to shame.

"RUN!" Serena yelled.

And they did.

"OH WHAT TYPE OF SHIT IS THIS?" Nyla yelled angrily as they were herded into a walk way, only to find the middle of the bridge eaten away, the other side occupied by a ton of the worm like creatures, and the floor below with non other than a bigger mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles.

"This is some fucked up shit, that's what type of shit it is." Serena said, just as angrily as she looked for a way to escape.

"Oh god we're going to die. We're going to die. I want to go home. I'm too young to die. I'm supposed to die old and rich in bed. I want don't to die, I don't want to..." Mina screamed, holding her head.

SLAP! **(A lame excuse at sound effects.)**

"Shut it whore. We're going to get out of this. You just leave it up to me and the others." Nyla exclaimed shaking Mina around the shoulders and slapping once more for good measure.

Behind them a loud screeching reached their ears, along with a crashing sound as the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles, gradually came closer.

"And if we're going to get out of here, I suggest someone thinks of something. Quick."

"Look up there. There's the venting system. If we could get into there we should be safe. The monster chasing us and the one down there are too big to enter it, and it is too high up for the smaller ones. If we could get into that then we would have access to the rest of the ship and we would be relatively safe." Amy spoke up in her quiet voice as she pointed to a vent on the other side of the room, far above the wormlike creatures.

"Ah, so there is a smart one in the bunch." Jack whispered in a husky voice by Amy's ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"What about it Rena?" Nyla asked facing Serena.

Looking from Amy to Nyla, she nodded. "Yeah, Amy's the only smart one."

"That's a stupid idea. How are we supposed to get over there?" Rei yelled, angry that they were saying that they were stupid, completely missing the hurt look upon Amy's face. Seeing this, Serena inwardly smirked.

"Why...I shall fly miss mars. If that is alright by you." Serena smiled as she began to back towards the edge of the bridge.

"No it is not." Rei fumed, too involved in disagreeing with Serena that she did not realize what she was saying.

"Too bad." Was that last thing Serena said before jumping off the edge.

"What?" Rei asked in surprise

"Wait no." Mina gasped.

"Serena!" Darien yelled jumping forward only to be stopped by Rei.

"Oh my goodness." Amy breathed as she covered her hand with her mouth.

"Are you crazy?" Lita yelled brashly eyes heavy with concern.

"Of course not." Serena said cheerfully, as she flew up over their heads, with a pair of lightweight metal wings, which had sprouted from her armor.

"Show off." Nyla scoffed as Serena did loop-de-loops in the air.

"You're just jealous, you're an earth bounder." Serena retorted coming to flutter in front of her.

"Ha, ha, ha, get to work birdie."

"Aye Captain." Serena saluted, before flying off to the vent.

Fluttering by the vent, Serena examined it for a moment. 'I can do this.' she thought, flexing her hand for a second. Sticking her gloved finger through the holes in the vent plate and pulled.

Nothing happened.

"What?" she said aloud. Gripping the plate again, she out either foot on the wall and pulled again.

Nothing still.

"What the hell? WHAT ARE THESE THINGS MADE OUT OF, TITANIUM?" Serena yelled.

"Yeah they are." Someone yelled below, but she didn't feel like finding out who said it.

Backing up a bit, she raised her fist in the air. The cuff of her armored gloves began to glow yellow, and with a mighty heave, she punched the shit out of the vent plate. It shuddered from the impact and fell out.

"Way to go Hercules." Nyla hooted as Serena stuck her head into the vent to check it out.

"It's clear." She yelled, flying back towards them. "It's just big enough for us to crawl through one behind the other."

"Good. You fly the kids over first, then Jack, and then come back for me."

"Got it. And since this was Amy's brilliant idea, she gets to go first." Serena said cheerfully as she grabbed Amy's hand and began to pull her towards the edge.

"No wait...Rei is the leader; she should go first...I don't think I should AHHH!" Amy screamed as Serena zoomed out into open space with her dangling by her arms. And that wouldn't have been so bad if the creatures on the other side of the bridge weren't diving to there death trying to get at her.

The others was as Amy screamed loudly when Serena tossed her high into the air only to catch her bridal style, before flying off to the open vent, where she safely deposited the girl, before coming back for another one. This went on for a while with no trouble, except for Serena almost dropping a kicking and screaming Rei when a creature had launched itself at her.

While this was going on Jack and Nyla had been busy blocking the entrance to the walk way with a freeze gun that out a 12 inch wall of ice in the path of the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles that was gradually coming closer.

Now it was jack's turn, and before Serena could grab his arm to pull him towards the ledge, he had launched himself onto her front, his arms circling her neck, his legs wrapped around her waist, and his head nuzzled snuggly in her chest.

"Argh, you pervert this is no time to be an ass." Serena growled trying to pry him off.

"Exactly, this is why you should leave me alone and fly to the vent already." he reasoned winning the match as Serena left him alone, so she could hurry up a rid herself of him.

"Come on Nyla. Let's get out of here." Serena yelled to her partner as she(Nyla) watched nervously as the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles rammed itself against the ice wall, efficiently cracking it.

"You ain't got to tell me twice." Nyla said as she jumped upon Serena's back the moment the wall burst open, letting the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles in.

"Come on Rena, flap, flap with all your might! For the love of my beautiful black ass flap your wings!" Nyla yelled watching as the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles fill the bridge and spill over.

"Okay, we're here, now get off so I can get in." Serena grunted as Nyla crawled off her back, off her head, and into the vent. "Alright now Nyla, you're going to have to help me in, because I can't get in with these wings, so when I extract them back in I'm going to fall. Now are you going to catch me?" Serena asked her seriously, looking her into the eye to make sure she understood.

"Yeah, yeah I got it." Nyla said absently grabbing Serena's wrist and bracing herself for Serena's full weight as her wings extracted into her armor. "You have got to lay off the munchies Rena." Nyla told her as she grunted to pull the girl into the vent with them.

"You weren't exactly lightweight when I flew you over on my back." Serena said as she managed to put a knee in.

"Alright so we both need to go on a diet, big whoop. Now let's go before one of those things decides to reach in here and grab one of us." And as soon as she said that, that is just what happened.

"Sometimes, you just need to shut up while we're ahead." Serena said as one of the mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles grabbed her foot, and pulled her out of the vent.

"Damn this thing is strong," she cursed as she tried to pull Serena back in by her arms.

"Nyla, if you let me get eaten by giant worm creatures I swear I will never forgive you." Serena warned as she kicked at the tentacle on her leg that was gradually snaking up her body.

"Don't worry I won't." she reassured her as she released one of her arms to grab her gun, and firing at the one on Serena's leg until it broke off with a screech.

"Come on lets get the hell out of here!" Serena yelled as she was finally in the vent, pushing the others to crawl faster.

"Aren't you even going to kiss your date good night?" Nyla joked as she crawled behind her.

"Go to heeeelllllllllll!" Serena yelled as she and the others fell down a shaft they hadn't seen until they were in it.

"AHHH! Oomph!" was the sounds made by 8 falling people as they fell out of a vent and onto each other in a vast cold room.

"Hey look!" Nyla yelled suddenly, the least hurt because she fell out last. "The cruisers. We can escape, Yay!"

"Great! Now get off us!" Jack grunted from near the bottom.

"Those are the things we're going to get away in?" Lita asked loudly looking at the cruisers.

"Uhh...yeah."

"They're awfully small for eight people aren't they?" Amy asked eyeing the two escape pods.

"No they're just right. Watch, you three, come with me." Nyla said as she ushered, Darien, Rei, and Mina over to a ship. First Rei went in, simple enough. Then Darien, a bit snug, but they could pull through. Next was mina, Nyla shoved her in a bit forcefully and she was kind of upside down, but hey, they were in. then lastly Nyla herself. Yes, she had to crawl painfully through, yes, everyone had to shift into awkward positions so she could get to the drivers seat, and yes, there were body parts in faces, and of course, they were cramped, but they all were in.

Jack loved every minute of it when Serena had loaded him, Amy, and Lita into her ship. "Everything operating accurately over there?" Serena asked into her headset.

"Everything's copasetic. Systems on and a go?" Nyla answered back.

"Roger that. Opening door...now. Ready to shoot out?"

"Of course, now on 3 we go. 1 for the money..."

"...2 for the beers and the food..."

"...and 3 for Tony Fingers..."

"...WHO MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL REAL GOOD!" They both shouted in unison as the doors finally opened to the fullest, and the cruisers shot out into open space, the doors closing behind them.

Devin Fonteroid hurried through the halls, worry written clearly across his face. The Shining Star had just docked in 15 minutes ago and no one had exited it yet. When they tried to contact it to see what the problem was, all they got was a distress signal, so he had gotten his best officers down to check it out.

Arriving at the dock, he was glad to see everyone waiting at the doors for his orders.

"Okay fellows, on the count of three charge in." he called out, as everyone got ready.

"One..." everybody grabbed their weapons and doctors picked up their equipment.

"Two..." The ship was hacked into and the door began to open.

"Three..." before anyone could charge in, a mess of tangled, brownish-red, slimy looking, slithering sliding, sharp teeth showing, screeching, growling, mass of tentacles charged out and snatched a couple of officers in.

The dock was silent as the scene that just played before their eyes sunk in.

"...oookaaay..." Devin said slowly, his eyes wide. "Well, I believe I'll leave this little job up to the professional. I'll just be in the way. So...yeah. bye." And with that, the handsome, coward Devin Fonteroid left the dock never to be seen again. Well at least until the job was finish.


	4. Chp 4 Baronu

**Chap. 4 Baronu

* * *

**

"He did what...that fucking coward...so how long till we get our ship back...4 WEEKS? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR 4 WEEKS, WE LEFT ALL OUR MONEY ON THE SHIP, WE GOT THESE KIDS WITH US, AND WE'RE HUNGRY!" Nyla yelled angrily into the holographic monitor at the officer in charge of the dock at Devin's headquarters.

"Well, do what you do best to earn money?" the officer retorted.

"We are not becoming hookers!" Nyla screamed furiously.

The officer was silent for a moment as he just looked at her.

She stared back then turned purple as she finally caught on. "Oh. Oh, you mean...catch bounties, not...yeah we can do that."

"Good." The officer said humorless before cutting her off, making the holographic monitor disappear just before another popped up beside her head, showing an irritated looking Serena with various body parts shown behind her, where screams were emitting.

"Nyla what's going on? Because we got Jack over her and he's squeezing through gaps and...Ahhh...grrr, are we landing anytime soon!"

"Yeah we can land, but we're on our own with money."

"We're on our own? What about money, what about a place to stay, what about food?"

"I just guess we're going to have to call in some favors. Does anyone trust worthy owe you any favors?"

Serena's face went blank as she tried to think, then a brilliant smile spread across her face.

"Who do you know?" Nyla asked with a curious smile.

* * *

The princess of Kinmokusei looked down upon the two bounty huntresses with a small smile, her three protectors by her side. The Sailor Starlights. Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, and Sailor Star Healer. 

"For whom and what do I owe this court for?" the princess asked starting off, using the formalities used during intergalactic dealings.

"It is I, Sailor Moon, from the Milky Way Galaxy." Serena said formally, bowing on one knee with her right fist over her heart, and her head held down.

"And I, Sailor Alpha Katt, from the Dyr Folk Galaxy." Nyla said after shaking herself from her daze. Something was off about those guards.

"You may rise." The princess told them. "now state your business."

Standing, Serena began to address their problem while Nyla stared suspiciously at the Princess's guards.

"Princess, I do not mean this to be a guilt trip or even blackmail, but we..." but whatever Serena was going to say next went deaf to Nyla's ears as she continued to stare at the guards.

'_Now where have I seen them two before?'_ Nyla wondered to herself.

'_That white haired girl is new, but the other two...its like déjà vu or something.'_ Peering closer she sniffed...and her eyes grew wide. She recognized those scents.

**_Flashback_**

"I'm Serena's friend Nyla; it's a pleasure to meet you." She said while walking up to Seiya swinging her hips. Serena who knew this routine, quickly snatched Nyla back by her long braid.

"Nyla, this is Seiya, and that's Taiki. Taiki, Seiya, this is my friend Nyla," she said pointing to each, who in return nodded. Nyla looked at her for a moment then she understood. "Oh" she said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," she said shaking Seiya's hand, "and it's even more pleasurable to meet you." She said walking over to Taiki and attached herself to his arm.

"So handsome, how about you and I get to know each other a little better." Dragging Taiki off she yelled over her shoulder, "Have fun Serena."

**_EndFlashback_**

A strange look passed over Nyla's face. One of her eyes narrowed and the other widened as her mouth dropped open. The Starlights now began to fidget a bit.

Gasping loudly, Nyla's arm shot up, pointing as Sailor Starfighter and Sailor Starmaker. "OH! MY...!" but before she could finish her sentence, Serena had threw her arm around Nyla, effectively locking her arm to her side and clamping her hand over her mouth. Nyla seemed unaffected by this as she still continued to stare at the two.

"So what is your decision Princess?" Serena asked, as she released Nyla, sure she wouldn't do anything. Which, she didn't, except stare with her mouth steady open and one eye bigger than the other.

"Accommodations can and will be provided for you, paid for by the royal house, but all other necessity's will be up to you. Do you accept?"

"Yes, your highness. The royal house shall pay for our room, but all other is up to us. Thank you, and we shall now make our leave." Turning around, Serena grabbed Nyla by the upper arm and dragged her along behind her. Although her feet were moving, Nyla head was still turned towards the Starlights. With one eye bigger than the other and her mouth hanging open wide.

* * *

"Transvestites!" Nyla screamed before drowning down her drink. 

They were now sitting at the beach house that was serving as their home for the time being. They were currently sitting outside on the deck as the scouts played volleyball on the beach, and as Serena searched through the Newspaper, which was located on a holographic screen computer, Nyla chugged drink after drink, trying to clear her mind of all memories of making out with transvestites.

Ignoring her completely, Serena continued searching through the computer for any bounties. But she came up short handed, for there were hardly any bounties.

"Wow!" she exclaimed happily. "the sailor Starlights keep this solar system in good shape, there aren't any bounties worth going after, it looks like we might have to find _regular_ jobs."

"Transvestites." Nyla muttered beofre taking another swig.

"Okay, Nyla, babe. I love you, but you have got to get over it. They're not transvestites, there men, who are super crime fighters. So just think of the woman part as a costume."

"Costume?"

"Yeah, Costume, now help me with this job situation. Okay, the bounties in this solar system are slim. They won't even fill the cruisers up with gas."

"And?"

"And I don't want to get a _real_ job; maybe the scouts can, but not us."

"...So what's your point?"

"HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE MONEY NYLA!" Serena yelled angrily, fed up with her partner's unhelpful notions.

"Whoa chill. Have a drink and let me take a peek at the computer." Nyla said, handing the fuming Serena a drink she had made, before turning the holographic screen toward herself.

"Oh this is good," Serena commented, taking a sip of the drink and immediately calming down. "Is there any more?"

"Yeah, I made a big batch of it in the fridge."

"You made this?" Serena as astonished.

"Yeah."

"Wow, it's good." After giving Nyla the compliment she got up and left for some more.

"Thanks. Now let's see here: no, no, no, no, ooh nice, but no."

"Nyla, my love! Our money problems are over!" Jack yelled, as he ran from the beach and up onto the deck breathing heavily with a flyer in hand.

Jack had ditched his regular blue scientist suit, for a pair of dark blue swimming trunks and some flip-flops. You could tell he had been on the beach most of the day, for he had acquired a nice tan. He still wore his glasses and his hair was in its normal ponytail. On his ankle laid a crude looking shackle with a red light. His tracker, which allowed him to go around freely, but if he got too far away it would electrocute him and alert Nyla and Serena of his escape attempt. On his shoulder was a scar in the shape of a perfect circle where Nyla had shot him at years ago. Although his regular suit made him look almost anorexic, he was a bit more filled out than Nyla had expected, but he was still way too skinny for Nyla's like.

"You know if I didn't have Devin and you weren't a skinny, perverted, nerdy criminal; you'd be cute." She remarked taking the flyer from his hand. "Now what is this?"

"It's a beauty contest, held for three nights here on the beach. Ages ranges from 17 up and each night the ones who haven't been eliminated yet gets a check ranging from 1,000-18,000 Bostais. Price going up each night, and the all around winner gets a starcruiser plus 100,000,000 Bostais. So what do you say? You guys want to enter?"

"I say, you're just being a pervert and just want to see us in bathing suits."

"Ooh, you wound me with such accusations. I'm merely thinking of the team."

"Like hell you are."

"Oi, Nyla! Did you find anything yet." Serena asked as she came back with a jug and glass.

"Matter of fact I did." Nyla said, pushing Jack over the edge of the deck. "It's a beauty contest they're holding on the beach for three nights. Cash prizes galore, and with us two, plus the scouts, more money to go around. What'd you think? Should we go for it?"

"Oh that's great, Nyla! Plus I was thinking inside. We're on the beach; it's hot, lots of people. So why don't we sell your drink, for a fair price." By 'fair price', she meant an extremely ridiculous price for a drink.

"I say more money in the bank for us."

"Great, you tell the scouts while I find Jack and clue him in." taking a final swig from her glass, Serena set off at a run down the beach, searching for Jack.

"You hear that Jack, you get to be a vender." Nyla said addressing the semiconscious, evil genius half buried in the sand.

* * *

Serena ran down the beach, searching high and low for Jack. She and Nyla hadn't changed into civilian attire or beachwear so she was getting quite a few looks from the beachgoers. She had been at it for little over an hour now and she was getting frustrated. 

"Hey Rena, I found Jack." came Nyla's overly cheerful voice over the communicator.

"How long has he been there?" She asked looking down the beach to where their temporary house was located.

"Ever since before you left." Nyla replied innocently.

"Really, well you know what? Enjoy babysitting duty...BECAUSE I'M GOING OUT!" she said angrily, yelling the last part down the beach, ignoring any and all weird looks she received.

Huffing angrily she spun on her heal and began to stalk off, only to bump into someone. Feeling extremely angry, she reached her hand out towards her pistol band and was about to shoot the person, but fortunately she looked before shooting and saw that it was Seiya.

"Seiya!" Serena yelled in surprise

"Umm Hi." He said a bit nervously. "I'm here...I mean the _princess_ asked me...to see if...everything's okay at the house." He said quickly a red tint beginning to tone his face.

"Oh, well everything's fine."

"Okay, right..."

"...you can go tell her now." Serena said after she saw that he was just standing thee shuffling his feet. _'Who is this nerd? What happened to my cocky Seiya? Reminds me of Melvin'_, Serena asked herself.

"Right, but...I didn't j-just come for th-that. I also wanted to know i-if you might want to, you don't have to...if you don't want to, but y-you know I was wondering if you m-might wa-wa-want to go..."

"Sure I'll love to go out with you. What time...tonight?" Serena guessed getting frustrated.

"Huh, oh yeah, how about around _4:00_?"

"How about 7:30, its 4:00 now."

"Yeah, great, so I'll come pick you up?"

"No, I'll meet you here; Nyla's a bit shook up over the whole sailor thing and all."

"Oh right, yeah. Is she okay?"

"Not by a long shot. So we meet here at 7:30 tonight?"

"Yeah, that's right." He told her some of his cool coming back.

"Great, I'll see you there." She told him before marching off down the beach.

When she was out of earshot, Seiya sighed and slicked his hair back. "That went smooth."

"No it didn't." said various beach goers all around.

* * *

The scouts were nervous. Jack was worried. Sitting in the living room, all huddled on the couch, they watched cautiously as Nyla stared them down with an evil glint as she polished her weapon. 

She was angry; no, she was seriously pissed...and jealous. First Serena had left for the afternoon, and when she finally returned she began to get ready for a date. And she wouldn't give any details.

"How do I look?" a voice in the doorway suddenly asked.

Without thinking, Nyla sprang up onto the chair she was sitting in and fired off three shots.

Eyes wide and with speedy expertise, Serena pulled up her holographic shield connected to her wristband and deflected the shots with ease.

"Is there a problem Cranky McSpanky?" Serena asked as she pulled her shield down.

"Yeah, who the hell are you going out with?" Nyla asked angrily as she jumped down from the chair to stand in front of her.

"A friend. Now how do I look?" Serena asked as she posed. She wore a sparkly, blue, firm fitting, shoulder less dress that tied around her neck. Her upper and lower back was out with the middle tied with a bow. Her watch was camouflaged as a diamond bracelet. Her hair was pulled up into a bun, surrounded by braids, and the rest pull through the middle of the bun and floating just above her shoulder blades. On her feet, she wore black, strappy heels.

"Fine. Now what about this guy? Have you known him long? What does he do?"

"Bye Nyla." Serena simply said as she began to walk away.

"WHAT ABOUT PROTECTION?" Nyla yelled unnecessarily.

Stopping and without looking back, Serena stuck her left leg out, revealing a thigh high slit...and her gun band.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Nyla yelled angrily, as Serena walked out the door. "Serena? Serena? SERENA! WHAT AM _I_ GOING EAT?"

* * *

"So we fell out of the venting system and into the landing port, loaded up in the cruisers and got the hell out of there!" Serena laughed as she told Seiya of their escapade. 

"Nice to see you laughing at near death experiences." Seiya joked taking a sip from his glass. He had reserved a table at a fancy outdoor café.

"Well, it wasn't funny then, but now...it kind of is." Serena said with a giggle as they both began to laugh.

"So when do you plan to make your big come back?" he asked after a while.

His only reply was the silence that occurred after his question.

"Well you do plan on going back don't you? I mean you have to; you're the princess aren't you? It's your duty to..."

"I know!" she snapped, but calmed herself down almost instantly. "And I will...just...not right now or in the immediate future."

There was another silence between them, this time interrupted by a beeping coming from Seiya's watch.

"Um...I have to take this." He apologized with an apologetic smile as he rose from the table.

"Go ahead." She said with a smile as he left the room.

"What is it?" Seya snapped into the communicator at the image of Taiki, "I was just in the middle of something important!"

"Oh, well I'm sorry we disturbed you. It's just a little old youma attacking the public. We can handle it; you just go back to your date."

"Really?" Seiya asked as he perked up.

"NO! Now get your butt down here and do your job!" Taiki yelled before shutting the communicator off.

"Oh man!" Seiya sighed as he put the communicator away. Sighing sadly, he spun on his heel to tell Serena that he had to stand her up, but jumped back in surprise to already fine Serena standing merely inches from him. "Ah, Serena...I, I was just coming to..."

"Stand me up. It's okay, I know what the beeping watch means, I used to be a sailor scout too you know." Serena said with a smile.

"Good, so you understand." Seiya laughed with a relieved expression.

"Of course...we have a youma to fight." She said with a determined look as her bounty huntress outfit melted onto her form and began to walk off, gun in hand.

"Yeah...wait _what_?" not moving from his spot, Seiya snatched Serena back to face him. "What do you mean 'we'? You're staying right here."

"_But I want to fight the monster_. I haven't shot anything ever since we got the scouts, and it's been years since I actually fought a youma. Please Seiya, just this once." She whined giving him the puppy dog, big blue, tearful, 'you cannot resist' eyes.

"N-No, Serena. You're a liability without your powers and I don't want you to get..." grabbing his jacket Serena pulled him down into a fiery kiss that left him frozen after.

"What about now?" she asked with a smirk.

"Not happening, but you're welcome to try that again."

"Come on, can't I at least watch?"

"No." he smirked before taking off running and ducking off into an alley.

"Come on Seiya please!" Serena yelled running into the alley behind him, only to meet a brick wall. "ouch." She mumbled rubbing her nose and tearing up.

"No." she heard from the air, and looking up, she only caught a glimpse of Sailor Starfighter as she leapt onto the roof of the building across the way.

"Like hell I won't at least watch." Serena mumbled pressing in a code on her watch. A few second later, it let out a light that showed the hologram, of what looked like, a surfboard, but the light traced up and down the hologram filling in more of the picture as it did so. Until it was no longer transparent but solid looking, and feeling as so when Serena gabbed it and tossed onto the ground. It then rose a few feet off the ground, blowing dust from under it as it did so. Smiling, Serena leapt on top of it, and the two flew up and out into the night, blowing up dirt and trash as they went.

* * *

Perched atop a building, a few feet away from the fight, Serena was able to watch without detection. Seeing the Starlights fight the youma brought back tons of memories for Serena. Some good, some bad, but mostly good. And no matter how bad she wanted to jump in and help, she held back. She could feel the magic in the air as each side would send in attacks, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on in. 

She remembered the thrill of the fight as she fought with her scouts and Tuxedo mask by her side. Back then she acted like she hated being a teen superhero, but she really loved the fight and protecting her people. She loved the feel of her power flowing through her body and out the scepter. The last blow would always be hers. The finishing blow that killed off the youma and saved the day. Where after there would be a big celebration of some kind. Either at Rei's or at the Burger Shack. (Haven't a clue what that place is called.)

Seeing that the fight was over, Serena, prepared to leave, but as she began to creep towards her hover board she noticed a figure race towards the Starlights just as they were about to leave. Deciding to be nosy, she activated the transmitter on the side of her ear, producing a translucent green screen to appear over her eye. Pressing a few more buttons she focused on the four figures at the bottom making it so that they appeared only a few feet away rather than two blocks and 17 stories away, with the figures looking so closed she turned on the microphone and they're conversation broadcasted in her ear as clear as a bell.

"...and it would be great publicity if you'll three play as special guest." The stranger was saying when she started listening. The stranger had short-cropped white hair and gray eyes. His nose looked as if it had been broken a few times and his face was thin and narrow. He was tall and finely muscled wearing a blue shirt under a white dress jacket with white pants.

"We would love to Mr...?" Sailor Star Maker began.

"Westell. Mr. Westell. But my friends call me Ron."

"As I was saying Mr. Westell, we would love too but we are not about publicity and..."

"The Princess has already giving her consent and will also be joining you, so you'll be there anyway protecting her so you might as well be the special guest." Mr. Westell said at a fast rate leaving Serena dizzy trying to understand.

"...what would we have to do?" Sailor Star Fighter asked with a sigh, causing a smile to spread across Mr. Westell's face.

"Wonderful! You don't have much to do, you know just meet and greet the contestants and hand out the prizes to those who continue onward."

"Sounds fun." Sailor Star Fighter said sarcastically only to elbowed by Sailor Star Healer.

"We are honored that you would consider us as the special guests." Sailor Star Healer said in her place.

"Great, the contest starts tomorrow at noon on the beach." With a quick thank you and a wave, Mr. Westell hurried off to his car and drove off.

"I don't like being in public." Sailor Star Maker grumbled.

"What will Serena think of me, surrounded by tons of half naked women? How will she know she's the only one for me? Although if she decides to hate me I'll have my choice out of tons of half-naked women, maybe even get more than one. Maybe one that looks like Serena or better yet one that looks better than Serena. One with bigger umm...what was I saying?"

"How much you love Serena and hope she doesn't hate you for being such a pig around the other women." Sailor Star Healer said in a deadpan voice as Sailor Star Maker just ignored her ranting and left, soon followed by Sailor Star Healer.

"Right. Hey Wait Up!" Sailor Star fighter yelled as she realized she was being left.

Serena, who had been listening the whole time didn't know whether to be angry or touched.

* * *

"SERENA TIME TO WAKE UP!" 

Eyes flashing open, Serena had only enough time to register what the voice said before an enormous weight, by the name of Nyla, belly flopped onto her back.

"ARGH! Get off!" she yelled as she sprung up, knocking the cat girl off of her.

Said, girl, quick to get into action, grabbed Serena's arm and held it into the air, just as she set off the first few rounds of the gun she kept hidden under her pillow.

"Rena! It's me!" she yelled over the gunshots trying to alert her sleepy friend.

"I know." Serena replied shaking dust from her face that had fallen there from the newly formed hole in the roof.

"Oh really?" Nyla yelled angrily elbowing Serena painfully in the back sending her sprawling onto her face.

"Do you relinquish?" Nyla asked straddling Serena's back and holding her head down into the mattress.

"NEVER before breakfast!" Serena yelled in retaliation swinging her legs up from behind Nyla and encircling them around her neck.

"Ack!" was the sound Nyla made as she released Serena's head in hopes of getting her legs from around her neck. With the newfound freedom, Serena pulled Nyla down with her leg and lifted herself from the mattress. Before Nyla could put her into a leg lock, for Nyla's legs were around her torso, Serena put them behind her and put all her weight onto them as she leant backwards.

"What about it Ferine? Do you surrender to the great Tsukino?"

"Surrender this." Nyla yelled as she kicked Serena off her and out of the bed.

Going into a tumble roll, Serena popped up into a fighting position waiting for Nyla to make the first move, but seeing as how she was busy nursing her sore neck, she smirked and left the room. Upon reaching the stairs, she stopped, as a noise reached her ears, turning around she had no time to react as Nyla charged her, tackling her like a football. Time seemed to stop for just a moment as they hung in midair over the stairs. Zooming in you could see Serena's eyes had dilated in pain and her face held a look of shock. Nyla's on the other hand held a look that clearly said _'Oh know the stairs! What was I thinking? We're going to die!_' Let's speed things up shall we.

"Oomph!" Serena huffed as Nyla rammed into her stomach, sending the two careening down the stairs. They fell with a loud variety of girly like screams, grunts, cat yowls, and cursing.

With an audible plop, the two landed at the bottom of the stairs, pulling, pinching, and stretching the other's cheeks with vengeance.

"Let go!" Serena managed to say through her stretching mouth.

"No you let go!" Nyla retaliated with some difficulty.

"Okay, okay. On the count of three we both let go."

"Okay. One..."

"...two..."

"...Three!" they both said loudly at the same time even though neither let go only pulled harder. "LET GO!"

"Stop it children." Jack said in a seemingly adult sounding voice as he threw a bucket of water onto the two fighting girls. With a loud cat screech, Nyla shot up the stairs, leaving Serena with the awkward stairs of Jack and her former teammates.

Standing up, Serena rubbed her sore, red cheeks and greeted everyone like nothing happened. "Good morning. What's going on?"

* * *

As Serena came to find out, Nyla had informed the scouts of the beauty contest and they had agreed. In the living room, a few hours before the contest was to begin, they all sat, surrounded by mountains of clothing, looking for and figuring out what they were to do the next three days. 

"Why aren't you two getting anything ready? Aren't you entering this contest too?" Rei asked as they sorted through their clothing.

"Got all the clothing they need doll." Jack answered as he entered the living room. "With a mere press of the button and their ready for the swimsuit competition." He said leaning over and pressing a button on Nyla's watch before she could stop him. And with a flicker of color and lights, Nyla's clothing was changed from her work clothes to the bathing suit she wore when they caught Nathaniel.

"And with another press of the button," he said leaning towards a growling Nyla, "They're ready for the evening gown competition." With the speed only a pervert could muster, Jack changed course from Nyla to a startled Serena, whose clothing changed to the gown she wore last night.

"The clothing can be altered to different colors." He continued, obvious to the angry yelling girls, and dodging all blows thrown at him, he pressed another button on Nyla's watch as he ducked between her legs. With a distortion in her suit, Nyla's bikini changed from purple to silver.

"...or to a different style..." as Nyla spun around to hit him, he slid under her arm and pushed her down, and just as Serena made a dive for him he ducked and she landed on top of Nyla. With both girls down, he idly walked towards Serena's outstretched arm and pressed a button on her watch. Her dress changed from having no shoulders, to umbrella sleeves, but where she gained in sleeves, she lost in neckline, as it plunged to her naval, and where she had only one big slit in the legs, she had two smaller ones on either side.

Straightening up the girls gave Jack glares that promised pain, but he seemed unperturbed as he continued to talk.

"...or with a flick and turn...you can change the sizes." Eyeing him dangerously, the girls stepped away from the evil, perverted genius, but he simply smiled and made no move to come after them. Instead, he pulled a remote from his pocket and pointed it at them. Eyes widening in fear, they each made up their minds...too bad it wasn't on the same thing.

While Nyla made a lunge for the remote, Serena tried to get out of sight, but neither was fast enough, and laughing evilly, Jack pressed a button on the remote, which made both girls' clothing shorter, tighter, and slightly transparent.

As Jack stopped laughing and got an eye full of the girls, he turned towards the scout with a serious face. "It's worth every bruise, stitch, and broken bone." He said before being attacked.

* * *

The day of the competition was chaos on the beach, there was giggling girls, perverted men, angry boyfriends, and tourists everywhere. 

"Excuse me...could you please...Ow that's my foot...who just touched me...ouch watch where you're...can I just...will you...LISTEN, I WILL SHOOT THE NEXT BASTARD THAT SOME NEAR ME! I'M TRYING TO SIGN UP FOR THE BEAUTY CONTEST, SO MAKE A PATH!" Pulling out her gun, Nyla, followed closely by Jack, Serena, and the scouts, stalked to the sign up slip for the beauty contest. Everyone in close vicinity, parted out of her way like the red sea. Until she was finally to the booth.

"Hi, I'll like to sign up for the contest." Nyla growled angrily to the guy at the booth.

"Well if you're going to want to be part of this contest, you're going to have to smile." The guy said cheerfully, obvious to the gun and growls.

"I am smiling." Nyla said through forced calmness as she grimaced angrily.

"Oh very well, but I think you're going to have to do better during the contest." The guy said as he flicked her in the nose before searching for the sign up slip.

With the guy's back turned he didn't see Nyla aim her gun at him, nor did he see Serena save his life by kicking Nyla's feet from under her.

"Here we go...hey, where Ms. Smiley went?" he asked Serena confusedly as he handed each girl a slip.

"Umm, she went to work on her smile."

"Oh that's wonderful. Well give this to her for me, and tell her don't forget to smile big." He said overly cheerful indicating with his mouth.

"Oh I won't." Serena answered as she began to drag Nyla away with her foot.

* * *

"Name? Nyla Ferine. 

Sex? Sure, I'll love some.

Species? None of your business.

Age? Likewise.

Talent? Making men...," but whatever Nyla was going to put was cut short as Serena elbowed her in the side.

"Be serious."

"Okay, mom. Sheesh!"

"Oh my...what shall I put for a talent?" Amy asked with a shake of her head.

"Yeah, me too?" Lita asked scratching her head.

"What you know how to do, JA...and you were talking about my answers." Nyla mumbled. "Oi, what are you doing away from the booth?" spotting Jack trying to sneak off. She pressed a button on her watch, and watched sadistically as Jack was electrocuted into unconsciousness. "Slave? Can't live with them, can't kill them and get away with it." Getting up she left the group to drag Jack back to the booth where he was supposed to be selling her drinks.

"I'm serious, the only talent I have that can be used is Violin, and I left that back on earth."

"well, you know what...since it was your brilliant idea that saved us from a horrible death back on the ship, I think I'll help you out." Holding her watch out in front of her, she began pressing button after button, until she found what she was looking for.

"Aha...here we go." Pressing a few more buttons, a holographic violin appeared in front of him, and just as the hover board did last night, the violin soon became solid. Snatching it from the air, she handed it to Amy. The violin was electric blue in color, the neck slanted to the right and the scroll was spiraled. The pegs were shaped as warped, acute triangles, and the whole frame was in the shape of an octagon.

"It's beautiful, thank you Serena." Amy said graciously, but as she went to hug Serena, she, Serena, stepped away.

"No problem, just protecting my investments. It's best for the team." Serena said, reciting what they had told her all those years ago. Smiling, Serena got up and walked off, bumping into a man as she did so, and ignoring the hurt and angry looks she was getting.

"That bitch." Rei said angrily as she got up and walked off, not only angry that Serena had said that but also because she was supposed to be the one to help the team, not their former leader.

"It's it'll be alright Amy, it's Serena, she'll be back to her normal self one day, she'll get over what we did." Mina said soothingly as she patted the stunned Amy on the back.

"I know, but it's not that. That man, the one Serena bumped into."

"What about him?" Lita asked becoming interested.

"He...that man...he was Baronu."

* * *

**Jaguargirl**: Hey ya'll, guess who updated. Give up? Me! I did! Hurray me! So on to the reviews.

**ymarti89****,princess, ****BlackAngelBlood****,Skye ,terry:** Thankies all around. Here's your updates.

**ladytokyo:**Thanks Bunch. And no, they can't hurt them, physically (_Hint_-_hint_-_wink_)but Vengeance will be served. Oh and Devin, of course he's a coward, why else do you think he sends out female bounty hunters why he sits behind a desk. But yes, he's hot.

**usagimoon2, ****Emerald Angel6492****Silver Moonlight-81**Thank you. Updates for everyone. Because you know, Jag appreciates.

**ChaosPhantom**: You know what THAT'S THE POINT! CONFUSION ALL AROUND! MUWHAHAHAHAHA! (_cough_hack_couch_)

**Kaori-Angel:** I love Jack Too. Thankie.


	5. Chp 5 Deception

**IMPORTANT/FUTURE OF STORY: **

Lately, I have been thinking of **discontinuing** my **fics**.

I just haven't been in a writing mood lately. Every time I start, I get discouraged and sidetracked. I'm either using my time for my artwork, or I'm working on my original stories, and I find myself just wanting to stop fanficiton.

At first I was just planning of going on a hiatus, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of just stopping. But I will not be deleting my stories off the site or off my computer, for I may comeback one day. But until then...it was nice writing for you.

_Courtney _

**

* * *

**

**Chp. 5 Deception**

**

* * *

**

"How did this happen? _HOW_ did this happen?" Rei was yelling hysterically as they had to watch the show from the audience.

"I go down, everyone goes down." Nyla told her unconcernedly as she kept her eyes on the stage. She had been disqualified in the first round for threatening the host. Yesterday had been the bikini competition and today was the talent part. Nyla, so far, had gotten Rei and Lita disqualified and was now plotting against the currently singing Mina.

"WHY? Why are you doing this? The money benefits you too? You're just mad because you were disqualified. You wouldn't have won anyway? I…" Rei's rant was cut short as Nyla uppercut her into oblivion.

"Thank you!" Lita said exasperatedly, giving Nyla a high-five, as Rei dropped down unconscious into the seat between her and Nyla. "Gawd that was getting annoying. She wasn't that great anyway. Can you say thunderthighs?"

"Why you're most welcome." Nyla said with a smile as she pulled a slingshot from her pocket. "Just hit that note one more time and its over." Crouching low, Nyla fitted a pod into her weapon and pulled the laser string taut.

She was waiting until Mina hit a particular note so that she could shoot the pod into her open throat.

"And I…" Mina sang, singing a classic Whitney Houston song that could be heard throughout the galaxies.

"There it is!" Nyla said victoriously as she sprang up, aiming the slingshot towards Mina's mouth, but before she could let it loose she was tackled from behind by a long legged woman with short black hair and green eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" the woman yelled in Serena's voice as she pinned the furious Animalitian to the ground. "We need the money and you're taking us out one by one? What is your problem?"

"Get off me!" Nyla yelled in protest.

"Don't make me do this?" Serena warned as she pulled a gun from its holster, at this, the audience screamed and trampled each other in order to get away from the fight.

"You don't have the guts! You know I'll kill you if you do." Nyla growled wildly, her eyes wide and cat-like, as she stared up at Serena in rage.

"You haven't taken your medicine." Serena realized fearfully before quickly sedating Nyla with a blow to the head. While Nyla was in her daze, Serena quickly switched out guns, and before Nyla could regain her senses back, she shot her in the neck, effectively knocking the woman out cold.

Sighing in relief, she stood up and dusted herself off. "It's all under control people! I'm her trainer and I've gotten her under control once more." Serena called out to the watchful crowd, as she hoisted the unconscious Nyla onto her shoulders. "Go ahead with your little pageant; I'll be taking her back to her cage ASAP."

"Is she alright?" Lita asked, coming from the crowd to help. "Do you need any help?"

"We don't need your help." Serena told her curtly, putting emphasis on the word '_your'_.

Lita sighed, and didn't push her. Serena blinked at this but said nothing. Repositioning Nyla, she headed towards their drink stand.

* * *

"Why, of course. I would be more than happy to watch my love for you." Jack agreed as Serena deposited Nyla's motionless body under the drink stand. 

"Ok, Jack." Serena said seriously as she dropped her disguise and looking him square in the eyes. "Don't molest her; you'll just be hurting yourself."

"As if I would." Jack said wit a hurt expression

"You wou…what are you putting into the drinks?" Serena asked on seeing that Jack and Darien were dousing the drinks with white powder.

"Nothing to fret your pretty little head about." Jack said lightly, not expecting to find Serena's hand around his throat. At this, Darien stopped spiking the blender and stepped out of reach.

"What are you doing to the drinks?" she asked slowly.

"A little mind control powder…but…it only makes them come back for more…I swear." Jack choked out.

"Jack!" Serena scolded as she dropped the genius to the ground. "That's why there's a bounty on your head in the first place."

"No." he corrected with annoyance written clearly on his face. "I have a bounty on my head for taking over the minds of world leaders. I have a bounty on my head for constructing weapons of mass destruction. I have a bounty on my head for holding ambassador's hostage. I have a bounty on my head for hacking into top secret galactic files. I have a bounty on my head for killing …"

"Killing?" Serena asked in wonderment, the news being new to her ears.

"Oh…that's right…I got away with that." Jack whispered under his breath before looking at Serena out of the corner of his eyes.

"Jacky, baby? Are you a murderer?"

"Now, Rena_, sexy Rena_, do I look like a murderer to you?" Jack asked her with a small smile, the light from the sun glinting off his glasses.

"We're going to have to talk later, Jacky boy." She said with a small smile, wondering if she should be scared.

"By all means…let's. Preferably over a candlelight dinner."

"Later Jack." Serena said lowly as she began to back up. "Take care of Nyla, won't you."

"With ever fiber of my being." He answered, smiling mysteriously.

"Devin…this is Rena, Nyla needs a supply of medicine shipped here pronto…and…could you send me a copy of Jack Dumont's files please." Serena requested, through her communicator on her wrist.

Hearing this, Jack laughed softly to himself, but stopped as he saw Darien's horrified expression. "What?"

* * *

"Next to the stage, Ms. Serena Tsukino, who, shall be dancing collaboration with her partner, Tony "Fingers" Malloy." The host, Mr. Westell, announced before climbing down off stage. **(Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe…the dance scenes have migrated from 'Stronger Than Yesterday' it's an epidemic! Run for your life! AAHHH!) **

Serena stood on stage in a black, sleeveless dress with her back out and with a flare bottom. Her hair was up in a bun and she was looking poise and ready. The music started off with a salsa beat, and when ever the beat dropped she would change positions. When the horns starting blaring, her partner came spinning out from back stage. The horns abruptly stopped and her back was suddenly plastered to her partner's front.

She had run into Tony 'Fingers' while out swimming yesterday, and he had agreed to dance with her. But as she looked up, she saw that Tony had been replaced.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Serena asked lowly, as she and Seiya waltzed.

"Dancing?" Seiya answered lightly as he spun her away and yanking her back, pulling her leg up to circle his waist. "What about you?"

"Won't people notice if one of the Starlights suddenly disappears." She asked as he danced backwards, pulling her along with him.

"They'll never know I'm gone." He reassured her as he spun her on her toes and bent her over her front, her nose nearly touching the ground. At their current position he smiled and winked at no one.

"And you know this how?" she asked as she slowly pulled herself up, putting a curve in her back as she did so.

"Don't worry, I left a clone." He said as he spun her off, this time not pulling her back, but dancing after her.

* * *

"I feel insulted." Sailor Star Healer commented as she and Sailor Star Maker stood on the Judge's stand, which was placed behind the vast audience. 

"Does he think we're stupid?" Sailor Star making grumbled.

Sailor Star fighter said nothing. Why…you may ask? Because she was a cardboard cutout.

"I wonder if he knows we can see him on the video prompter."

"Or the big screen hanging over the stage?"

"They're good, aren't they?" one of the judges asked the cardboard cut out, elbowing it it the side.

The Sailor soldiers looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes and sighed. They were surrounded by idiots.

* * *

"But why are you here? Where's Tony?" Serena asked as he finally caught up and with their hands entangled and the other wrapped around each other's waist and shoulder, they began to dance the salsa. 

"Tony? Is that his name? He's not good enough for you." He grunted as he hoisted her up and onto his shoulder, holding her legs so she wouldn't fall.

"Not good enough. We were only going to dance." She said as she sat up and turned so that she was facing him.

"Yeah, but…" he argued as he slowly lowered her to the ground. "Wouldn't you rather have a professional dancer?"

"He was a professional dancer. He was Tony 'Fingers' Malloy." She said this as she began to walk seductively around him.

"A dancer named 'Fingers'. Why the hell is he called 'Fingers'?" he asked, but she said nothing and merely smiled as she arrived back to his front.

"You know what?" he asked, as he locked their finger and put a hand on her hip. Getting a grip he swung her to his side. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Wasn't going to." She said before they began to dance off, keeping their upper halves relatively still, as they twisted their hip from side to side.

"Besides…" she continued as they stopped and he dipped her. "You're a singer, not a dancer."

"I am a man of many talents." He whispered suggestively before straightening her back up, only to send her spinning off while they both did a solo.

"And I…" she said as they spun back into each other's embraces, "…am a woman of many secrets." She smiled flirtatiously at this as he went on bended knee and she sat on it and kicked her leg high into the air, where he used his hand to travel slowly up and down. Looking into each other's eyes, he feigned as if to kiss her, but before their lips could meet she sat up and he stood.

Holding her hand, he spun her under his arm once, threw her to the floor, spun her there, and pulled her into his arms, ending the dance with a one handed dip. The crowd cheered, the song ended, and the two, smiling broadly, bowed and hurried off stage.

"Umm…you…You did great Serena." Ami said quietly, looking timid. Behind her Rei stood looking annoyed, and Mina was smiling behind Rei's back at her.

"…Thank you." She said after a pause as Ami smiled hopefully and gathered up her violin as the announcer introduced her.

"Hey!" she called after her. "Good luck…we need the money."

"Thank you…Serena." Ami said as her smile faded.

"Hey! What are you doing back here? I thought you got eliminated." Serena barked at Rei, who hadn't stopped staring at her.

"I was giving _my team_, moral support." she growled. Not noticing how Serena was busy watching Mina shake her head 'no' in response.

'_She_.' She signed pointing at the oblivious Rei. '_Talking non-stop_.' She signed, using her hand as example of a flapping mouth. '_About_ _You_.' She finished pointing at Serena. Then pointing at herself, she put an imaginary gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

Seiya burst at laughing at this, and when Rei turned around, Mina was busy fixing her make up.

"Listen…I know you and I may not be on the best of terms these days…but I thought you might want to know that Ami said she saw Baronu yesterday and that you should be on alert." Rei told her with a serious expression.

"And you thought it appropriate to tell me _now_, when Baronu could possibly be gone."

"I just found out today too okay. I didn't have to tell you, but I thought it would be in the best interest of _my team_, to have you informed."

"Watch it." Serena warned as the two stared each other off. "I'm still your princess."

"Not if you're dead." Rei snapped back, never missing a beat as they prepared to fight.

"Is that a threat?"

"If I had my powers..yeah it would be...I'm the strongest fight out of all you. I could take you out like that!"

"Whoa Ladies! I will not have you two ruining my show…although some of us aren't even supposed to be back here." Ron Westell interrupted as he put himself in between the two fuming girls. Looking at Rei, he winked, and with visible disgust, she looked from him to Serena and stalked off with a huff.

"She is going to bust a vessel in her head." Mina muttered looking after her angry leader.

"Young man…what are you doing back here?" Mr. Westell snapped at the obvious Seiya, who was busy watching all the women walking around him.

"Huh?" Seiya said dumbly.

"Get out of here son."

"Oh…uh…yeah…well I'll catch you later Serena." Kissing a smirking Serena on the cheek, Seiya hurriedly departed.

"Well Ms. Tsukino…now that we're alone…I would just like to congratulate you on a job well done. You and your partner put on a marvelous show." Mr. Westell said as he placed a kiss on the back of Serena's hand. Leaving her hand tingling at the sensation.

"Yes…thank you…and…call me Serena."

"Serena." He said, seeming to taste her name on his lips. "Latin. You know it means serene."

"Sure why not." She said quickly, earning a laugh from him. "Listen Mr. Westell I…"

"Call me Ron."

"Right." Serena muttered under her breath, becoming uncomfortable. "Okay, Ron, I need to go help my friend…she's a bit sick…and well she needs me and I have to go." Skirting pass him, Serena hurriedly left the dressing room. Leaving a dejected Ron Westell in her path.

* * *

"Creepy ass, old people." Serena muttered under her breath as she made her way to their concession booth. 

"I think he likes you." Seiya told her with a laugh as he caught up with her, only to get punched in the side.

"That's not funny."

"Yeah it is." He laughed again, only to stop dead in his tracks as she pulled a gun on him.

"What did I say?" she growled, sticking the gun under his nose.

"That it's not funny."

"Good." She said with a small smile as she put her gun away and headed off again.

Sighing in relief he followed her to a popular booth that had everyone coming back for more. He had been there once, but he had been too busy to get another, but now he looked as if he would get his chance.

The first person he saw was the booth owner, a tall, skinny geeky looking man with a large, ugly, blinking ankle bracelet, and he saw Serena and waved at her in welcome. This got his attention, and that's when he noticed all the scouts, excluding Mina and Ami, and Serena's friend Nyla. Behind the booth, stood the owner and behind him stood Darien, making the drinks, and walking away from the booth, and looking dejected, was Taiki.

"Hey Taiki." He called in greeting only to be ignored as the sullen Starlight walked by.

"Yeah, that's right, transvestite, keep walking!" Nyla yelled after him, only to get scolded by Serena.

"Oooh, Sorry man." Seiya said sympathetically.

"Shut up." Taiki snapped as he walked off.

"Better you than me, heh?"

"I don't care…you can keep your little transvestite boyfriend…I have that fucking coward Devin."

"Be nice." Serena reprehended her.

"Yeah…I'm standing right here." Jack muttered.

"What?" Nyla yelled at him, only to get a dark look in return before he turned away from her to spike the drinks with his mind control powder.

"What did I do? Why is everyone turning on me? First Rena shoots me, and then Devin drops off medicine without even talking to me, and now this. What is it? You know what, I don't care! You hear that, Jack! Fuck you and your feelings! I don't care that you're mad…or you for that matter!"

Jack had stiffened at this outward hostility, and without looking at anyone, he threw the blender to the ground and stalked off.

Nyla looked after him a second before rolling her eyes in disgust, turning back towards the rest; she froze as she saw them all staring at her. "What now?"

"Are you the only one blind, deaf, and dumb to his feelings?" Serena asked, and by Nyla's blank stare, her suspicions were confirmed. "Go talk to him, Nyla."

"No." Nyla said defiantly.

"Nyla." Serena began warningly.

"Rena." Nyla growled in a dangerously low voice.

The others knew something was coming, but they didn't know what, and by the time they decided to back away, it was too late.

Serena pulled the gun first, and by the time she had it up to point at Nyla, she already found one pointing her in the face.

"Go talk to him." Serena said lowly, ignoring the gun in her face, as she pointed her's Nyla's chest.

"I said no." Nyla whispered deadly, as the two began a stare off, daring the other with unspoken words.

"Should we do something?" Lita asked Rei.

"Not if you don't want to be shot?" Rei answered her.

Darien and Seiya exchanged a look and moved to intercept the girls.

"You know…" Nyla began as she put her gun down, before the boys could touch her. "…you are so lucky my medicine just kicked in."

"So are you going to go talk to him or not?" Serena asked, never lowering her gun.

"Yeah, yeah…you're too good to him Rena, he's spoiled." Nyla mouthed off as she hopped on the counter and headed in the general direction they had last seen Jack heading into. "He's supposed to be our slave/prisoner and you're treating him like a friend…what's up with that?"

"Whew!" Serena breathed out, as she slumped into Seiya's waiting arms. "I almost died, did you see that?"

"Yeah I did." Seiya said as he hoisted her to her feet. "I didn't know she was dangerous."

"Dangerous? No, she's just extremely animalistic when she's off her medication, and so you have to show her that you're not afraid…or else she'll shoot, bite, maim, fight, take advantage, use to her whim, or do whatever she wants to you. Once she forced a man to get a sex change, so he could pretend to be her and she could get out of a marriage that she had gotten herself into."

"You two have a very strange relationship." Lita commented.

"Strange, but strong."

"We've noticed." Darien added.

"Yeah it better be, especially after that time she had gotten sick and I had to use the rectal thermometer on her." Serena shuddered at the memory.

"Serena!" someone yelled.

They all turned to find Ami and Mina running towards them.

"Heh?" was all Serena managed to ask before they each had an arm and was pulling her off towards the stage.

"Where do you think you're going with her?" Rei yelled.

The two scouts froze. "They're about to start the judging." Mina answered slowly, looking at Ami.

"Yes…and like Serena said…we need the money." Ami answered her before they took off running again, dragging the bemused Serena with them.

"Well." Seiya said, feigning weariness. "I guess, I'll go take a…"

"We know who you are." Lita told him as she stole herself a free drink. "You don't have to pretend, so just say you're going to host the show."

"I'm…going to uh, host the show." He said after a pause. "You know…I just get so use to sneaking off…it's a habit now. Well I guess I'll be off."

"I'll walk you there." Darien offered as he came from behind the booth, only to be stopped by the heavy chain connected to his ankle. "On second thought, I'll just wave you off."

"What happened to you?" Rei asked him as Seiya walked off.

"Nyla…chained me to the booth."

"Why?"

"To keep Jack, company."

"How's that working out?" Lita asked not bothering to hide her smile.

"It's okay…a little hot, I get free drinks, and…oh yeah, I think Jack's a murderer. How's your day been?"

* * *

"Why are they all glaring at me like this?" Serena asked as Mina, as they stood on stage, waiting to be given their final scores. 

"They saw you talking to Mr. Westell; they think you're sleeping with him." Mina whispered.

"Really…why would they think that? That guy is old and creepy…_Speak of the devil_."

"Well Ladies and gentleman, I hope you enjoyed tonight's performances from our ten remaining finalists…sadly…only five will make it till tomorrow." Mr. Westell had walked onto the stage and was addressing the audience as he walked down the line of girls.

He winked at her when he passed, and she made sure he saw her grimace. Beside her, Ami giggled.

"These ten lovely ladies," Mr. Westell continued, "…are competing for 100,000,000 Bostais, the title of Ms. Kinmokusei, and this beautiful, top of the line, Bubarian Z cruiser." At this the audience oohed and awed as the side stage curtain was opened to show the starcruiser on its revolving stand.

"It's so shiny." Serena droned as she found she couldn't take her eyes off the cruiser.

"You're drooling, Serena." Ami said quietly, mirth evident in her voice.

Giving her a small smile, she wiped her mouth and looked out at the audience. She looked at Rei, who scowled, then Lita, who gave her thumbs up behind Rei's back, and to Nyla…who was carrying a bloody, unconscious Jack. She made a move to go to them, but the Starlights where suddenly there and blocking her way.

"Congratulation's Ms. Tsukino!" Sailor Star Maker said, as Sailor Star Healer handed her a rose. Looking to her left, she saw four other girls, smiling broadly, also had roses.

"Excuse me, but I…." Serena began but she was interrupted by Mr. Westell as he began addressing the audience, and her way was blocked by the huge check that had been pushed into her view.

"Well there they are, Ladies and gentlemen. Our five finalists…so until tomorrow…this is the end of the Ms. Kinmokusei Pageant." As he finished saying this music began to play and the curtain fell, separating them from the audience. She had just enough to catch Nyla's desperate look before she was cut from view.

"You all did wonderful." Mr. Westell complimented the girls as they walked passed him.

"Mr. Westell." Sailor Star Fighter called out, "what time are we expected tomorrow?"

"Yes…well…due to some recent circumstances…you won't be." Mr. Westell told him as he shrugged and put his hands into his pockets.

"But, the evening gown judging…"

"Will not be required. I have everything I want, plus…an extra surprise I wasn't counting on." He said with a smile as he put a hand to his face.

"What are you talking about?" Sailor Star Healer asked suspiciously.

Instead of answering her, Mr. Westell pulled the skin from his face with one hand, and with the other, pulled a remote control from his pocket. Serena, who had just passed the stage area on her way out, stopped and grimaced at the sight of Mr. Westell pulling the skin from his face.

"Eww!" she groaned before Mr. Westell pressed the button on his remote, trapping the Starlights in a dome that sprang up from the floor. The Starlights yelled something, but she couldn't hear what they were saying, nor could she hear them scream as they were struck by the dome's power.

"Don't tell me. Baronu?" Serena questioned, as she morphed into her bounty suit, her gun ready in her hand.

"The one and only." Baronu exclaimed with a laugh as he turned to face her, a cape growing from his back and a staff materializing in his hand. His nose no longer looked as if it had been broken, his skin was darker, most of the wrinkles were gone, and his eyes were mismatched. One green, the other gray. No other changes were done; he still looked like Ron Westell. "And who may I say, am I talking too?"

"I'm Serena Tsukino, bounty huntress extraordinaire, one half of the Shining Stars and I'm the bounty huntress who is going to turn…"

"You talk too much, princess." Baronu told her as a trap sprang up under her feet, hoisting her into the air in a net and making her drop her gun.

"Don't call me princess." She growled at him in annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Baronu said with a smile as her grabbed her chin, "Would…you rather I call you sweetheart?" he asked as he kissed her roughly on the mouth.

She held herself tight as he did so, hoping he was distracted long enough so she could reach her extra gun. She had it in her hand, but before she could pull it on him, he had grabbed her hand and taken it from her.

"And just what were you expecting to do with this?"

"I thought that was obvious." She muttered angrily.

"Naughty, girl." He scolded as he tossed her gun and turned toward the unconscious Starlights.

With his back turned she shot at him with another gun, but he dodged it easily, and without even turning her way, he swung his staff and hit her in the hand, knocking the gun from her. She growled in frustration.

As he approached, the dome surrounding the Starlights fell away. When he crouched down next to them, she couldn't see what he was doing, but she did notice how the Starlights jerked once and faded back into their human personas.

Smiling triumphantly, Baronu tossed the Starlights power stars into the air and caught them with a laugh, only to get shot in the shoulder. Growling, he stood up and whirled on his feet to face Serena, who had managed to get another gun.

"How many of those do you have? That's not very _lady_ like." Baronu yelled, pocketing the stars and smacking her with his staff, sending her swinging.

"If you thought I was a lady, then you wouldn't be hitting me!" she yelled, as on the swing back, she stuck her legs through the holes and kicked Baronu in the chest sending him sprawling onto his back.

With her legs out, Serena could move around freely, so when Baronu sat back up she was already upon him and kicking him in the chin. He went flying, but instead of hitting the wall, he turned it into a flip and landed on his feet, laughing hysterically. "Is that all you've got?" he yelled.

Running towards him, she jumped, intent on landing a flying kick to his head, but he stood up on his feet and caught her midair. "My turn." He said with a smile.

Gripping her leg painfully tight, and making her cry out in pain, he began to spin in a circle, sending her twirling and flying, not caring if and when she hit objects, in ex. a wall. On the umpteenth time he released her and she went flying into a wall. She heard something crack and she wasn't sure if it was her skull, her back, or the wall.

"Shit." She groaned as she fell, hanging limply in her net.

"Again…not very lady like, sweet heart." He huffed as he straightened his coat and smiled at her. Picking up his recently discarded staff, he flicked the end of it up, revealing a button. "It's been nice, but now I must bid you farewell." He pressed the button…nothing happened at first, but soon the sky was filled with the sound of magnetic whirring, and a large craft appeared overhead.

Holding his staff up, the top turned into a propeller and he went soaring.

Just as she thought he had gotten away, a brown and purple blur jumped off the banister and onto Baronu, but although they were obviously struggling, they continued to rise.

"Okay…I'm getting up." Serena said to herself as she pulled a lasered knife from her the band on her leg, she easily cut through the rope and fell to the floor.

* * *

Nyla was taking a serious beating as she held onto Baronu for dear life. 

"Get off you retched feline." Baronu yelled, trying to beat her off with his free hand, and keep them steady with the other.

"Not on my life, buddy!" she growled, taking the hits, but never releasing her hold on his waist.

Up and up they flew until they had surpassed his craft in height. With a flick of his wrist the propeller on his staff retreating back inside its opening, and while free falling, Baronu hit Nyla in the back with his staff, effectively causing enough pain so that her hold on him slipped. Not wasting anytime, Baronu kneed her hard in the stomach and then brought the staff careening down on her head, just in time to land in the driver's seat of his craft, while Nyla fell heavily onto the hull.

"Well, princess, it would seem about time for me to leave."

"Don't call me princess." Nyla moaned as she curled up into herself.

Baronu sighed. "When did women start hating to be called princess?" he asked himself as she turned his back and gripped the control panel.

"The day they got guns!" she yelled as she pulled her gun from her band holster and aimed it for his head.

Baronu turned to her and smiled, she blinked in confusion, he pushed a lever, and she went flying back as the craft went lurching forward.

She went tumbling head over heals across the hull of the craft and just as she went over the edge she caught a grip, but she was slipping.

"Oh, I'm getting too old for this." she whispered under the roar of the wind. Growling, she ruptured the metal of the craft with her claws and began pulling her self up, grateful that Baronu couldn't hear her over the noise.

She clawed her way back up to where Baronu sat; leaving good sized chunks of metal in her path, and crouched for an attack. As if sensing his oncoming battle, Baronu suddenly gripped his staff, twisted his wrist, and it morphed into a sword. As he swung it in an arc towards her, she swiped and leaped at him. Claws met sword and over powered it, sending it flying over the edge.

She pinned him to the dash and began pounding on his head. He grabbed her throat with one hand, his grip feeling like a metal shackle that was a size or three too small, and landed a blow to her stomach with the other. She doubled over in pain, not expecting the blow to her back, as he clasped his hands together and brought them down on her like a hammer.

A second after she hit the deck of the craft, she sprang back up with an uppercut to his groin, and as he came down to meet her face-to-face, she smiled, he grimaced, and, simultaneously, they head-butted each other. They each landed on their backs, in slight dazes, but as she came up, waiting to claw out eyes, he came up with a gun.

She smiled nervously and began backing up.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong feet. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Nyla." Nyla offered as she held her hands up in, what she hoped was a placating way.

"Let's hope all cats land on their." Baronu told her with a sadistic smile, before pulling the trigger.

The laser hit her dead on and she went plummeting over the side. As she fell, she found herself not wondering about how she should have spent her life, about the woulda coulda's, nor did she wonder about what the pain her death would bring her. No, the first thought to cross her mind was the desire to have one last beer and how long it would take to hit the ground.

She counted, "1…." Then her back hit something hard and solid.

"How you doing?" a voice asked conversationally.

Turning towards the voice, Nyla smiled weakly. It was Serena, a battered Serena with a split lip, blood running down her face, and leaning at an angle, but it was Serena none-the-less, and her hover board.

"What took you…I almost contemplated my death." Nyla asked in a raspy voice.

"Well…first I had to get out of a net…my back is bursting with spontaneous spouts of pain, I have no idea what happened to my shoulder, I think I might have a broken rib or two…my ankle is sprung…oh and I hallucinated a bit…you know…cracked skull…how's your day been?"

"Lovely…I got shot…I might have internal bleeding…and I just got head butted by the most, hard headed man in the universe. You see my closed eye, it's not just swollen, that's bone that has caved in on top of it."

"I win. I have more wounds." Serena said with a small hurt laugh, as she guided the hover board towards the ground, Baronu, long since gone into hyper drive and disappeared from sight.

"Congratulations." Nyla said weakly.

"Hey Nyl?" Serena called out after a pause.

"Yeah?"

"I'm about to pass out."

"Guess what?"

"Yeah?" Serena asked sleepily.

"Me too."

The two stayed in a comfortable silence, as the ground got closer and closer. "Hey Nyl…he whooped our asses didn't he?"

"Yes, dear Rena. Yes, our asses were whooped." Nyla answered her with a smile before they both collapsed and blacked out.


End file.
